AU’s COVIDSafe App : The Difference a Government Makes
Last April, 26, 2020, the Australian government made a difference by releasing the COVIDSafe App, even if the country had succeeded in flattening the curve.
Today, there are only 8,586 remaining active cases in Australia, while the number of recoveries totals 7,420 and the death toll is 106. Still, Prime Minister Scott Morrison continues to listen to the advice of Professor Brendan Murphy, the country’s Chief Medical Officer, about the need to provide people with a contact-tracing app, as part of plans to save lives, which in turn will save livelihoods as well.
Called COVIDSafe, the app is voluntary to download but PM Morrisson made efforts to convince the people about the importance of installing the app in their smartphone. Thanking the people of Australia for doing an excellent job in flattening the curve, the Prime Minister said
“But we cannot be complacent as we still need to contain the spread.”
How the COVIDSafe App Works
COVIDSafe automates the contact-tracing process of identifying people who came into recent contact with person/s who had tested positive of COVID-19. In keeping track of all places and people that a new COVID-19 positive person, the long and tedious manual process of tracing and tracking persons carried out by health workers becomes an easier process.
Through the app, contacts who may have become persons of interest, or persons who have to undergo testing as potential carriers of the novel coronavirus disease, can be immediately warned that one of their known contacts had tested positive; making it necessary for them to get tested s soon as possible in order to immediately know if they have been infected.
In the meantime, persons of interest will have to go into self-quarantine until the results of the test reveals if they have been infected or not. That way, the further spread of the disease can be arrested, instead of causing an exponential rise in the number of infected cases.
COVIDSafe Highlights the Importance of Good Governance in Battling the Pandemic
Australia’s Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, encourages Australians to install the apps as a continuation of their valuable support in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister Hunt gave emphasis to the importance of the app as part of the government’s 3-step requirements in deciding the easing down of restrictions — Testing, Tracing and Responding.
Although the COViDSafe app has attracted its fair share of critics and skeptics, the actions taken by the government of Australia has somehow made a difference. Good governance matters, which is the first and foremost problem in other major countries that are still grappling with a large number of active cases.