The Australian government launched a controversial coronavirus tracing app on Sunday and promised to legislate privacy protections around it as authorities try to get the country and the economy back onto more normal footing.
FILE PHOTO: Pastor Matt Johnson of One1Seven evangelical Anglican church wears personal protective equipment while distributing food to those in need, an approved essential service during the spread of the coronavirus disease , in Sydney, Australia, April 17, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
The app, which is based on Singapore’s TraceTogether software, uses Bluetooth signals to log when people have been close to one another. It has been criticized by civil liberties groups as an invasion of privacy. “It will help us as we seek to return to normal and the Australian way of life,” Hunt said. “No one has access to that, not even yourself ... only a state public health official can be given access to that data.”
Trust in governments in Australia and New Zealand has risen since the start of the pandemic, opinion polls show, with leaders of both countries - ideologically opposite - hailed for their management in suppressing the coronavirus. Australia reported 16 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, which took its total to 6,703, according to health ministry data. There have been 83 deaths.
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