Contact-tracing apps: Which countries are doing what

Contact-tracing apps: Which countries are doing what

Contact-tracing app TraceTogether, released by the Singapore government to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is seen on a mobile phone, in Singapore on March 25, 2020.. Several countries fighting the coronavirus outbreak are using -- or debating -- phone apps that trace a person's movements and who they come into contact with, allowing authorities to keep track of infections and alert people in case of contagion risk.. Health experts say the technology is a vital tool for governments hoping to ease lockdowns amid a pandemic that has overwhelmed hospitals and caused nearly 210,000 deaths worldwide.. For contact tracing to be effective, use of the apps needs to be widespread, with people willing -- or forced -- to adopt a technology that effectively turns their phones into digital surveillance tools.. South Korea, for its part, issued mass cellphone alerts announcing locations visited by infected patients, and ordered a tracking app installed on the phone of anyone ordered into isolation -- aggressive measures credited with helping curtail the outbreak.. Most other countries have turned to bluetooth tracking via apps that are strongly encouraged but remain voluntary, and let authorities "see" when two people's devices come into close contact.. Officials