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THE HSE HAS said its contact tracing app will be wound down within 90 days if it’s deemed to not be effective.
Ahead of the Covid Tracker App’s launch, the HSE has released documents detailing how the app will work.
The Data Protection Impact Assessment for the app states that the app will be wound down within 90 days if it “is assessed as ineffective as part of its efficacy monitoring process, or if, on taking advice from NPHET, the Covid-19 crisis is declared over by Government”.
The app will be voluntary, but a Lero study published this week by Science Foundation Ireland found that 82% of the population said that they would be willing to install an app for contact tracing.
It will record if a user is in close contact with another user by exchanging anonymous codes that are held on the users’ phones.
People who test positive for the coronavirus will be able to choose if they want to anonymously alert other app users who they have been in close contact with.
The app will also allow the user to anonymously record information about how they feel every day.
The information stored on the app will not be transferred to a centralised server.
“The symptom tracker has the potential to generate valuable national data relevant to Covid-19. The accurate reporting of the timing of the first onset of symptoms will improve the speed and the accuracy of the tracing process,” the HSE said in a statement.
“In line with data protection law, the processing of data will be limited to this stated purpose. All personal data that is processed is kept to an absolute minimum.
“Users can choose to delete the app at any time and have full control over what information they share through the app.”
72% detection rate
Fran Thompson, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the HSE, said the design of the app has been “informed by a robust development and testing programme”.
The app was developed by the HSE and the Department of Health, in collaboration with the Government Chief Information Officer and An Garda Síochána, together with technical partners from the Irish private sector (Expleo, Nearform, Information Security Assurance Services Ltd (ISAS), and EdgeScan) and scientific partners from Science Foundation Ireland.
“Results from our testing programme have shown that the app was able to accurately detect 72% of close contacts using the Google Apple API, Thompson noted.
Paul Reid, CEO of the HSE, said the app “will be an important part of our testing and tracing measures going forward”.
“The app will augment the existing contact tracing operations by quickly notifying users if they have been a close contact of a confirmed case, enabling users to record symptoms, and providing a trusted source of information about Covid-19.”
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Unsung heroes. Well done to them all
And here’s me complaining about the weather. Put’s everything into perspective.
It must be so difficult having a child with special needs. But it does seem to bring the best out in people. Well done to you Jennifer for being the type of mother we could all learn from. And that 12 yr old boy is some hero. God bless ye both and hats off to ye.
Jennifer what a wonderful mother you are to your two children. Caring for them in such a loving and selfless way when you yourself must have a hard time of it with this condition yourself. Some people have a heavy load to carry on their shoulders. You are an inspiration. Wishing you and your family all the best.
Congratulations to all of you.also
Fairplay to her, very deserving. Though it was unfortunate that on SixOne when the camera cut to her 3 year old playing a game on a tablet, it was the Grand Theft Auto (rated 18). She was in the middle of carjacking somebody and the voice over was Jennifer saying “You always need to be watching them”.
You couldn’t script it. Whoever was in charge of editing that footage could not have missed that…
That is only something that a mother could do and Jennifer this is something in life that only a mother understands and you will be well rewarded. I know people who have no children. it is so sad, the greatest pleasure in life is your own child or children you are blessed life is not easy but there is millions of couples who would love to have what you have and i hope that you and your children have a long and happy life i wish you all well
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