Japan's COVID 2o4x1v 19 App Reaches 4 Million s in First Week

Apps such as this may be able to halt an epidemic if usage reaches 60 percent of the population, according to an Oxford University study. t3q61

By Reuters | Updated: 26 June 2020 13:42 IST

Japan's COVID-19 App Reaches 4 Million s in First Week

Photo Credit: Photo Credit: Reuters/ Carlos Garcia Rawlins 69494n

Japan lifted a state of emergency in late May

Highlights

An Oxford study said such apps can halt the pandemic if 60% people use it
The Japanese app is named COCOA for -Confirming Application
It was designed by Microsoft

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Japan's COVID-19 -tracing app has been ed more than 4 million times since its launch a week ago as the government seeks to head off a second wave of infections now that businesses and schools have reopened.

Health ministry official Yasuyuki Sahara said while there was no target number for s, "we want to make as many people as possible to use this app".

Apps such as this may be able to halt an epidemic if usage reaches 60 percent of the population, according to an Oxford University study.

Yuki Furuse, a professor at Kyoto University, said there's debate about whether usage has to be that high to be effective, but "the more people use the app, the more it would be effective for the outbreak response."

Japan lifted a state of emergency in late May. It has weathered the pandemic better than most developed countries, with almost 18,000 infections and 969 deaths.

The app, named COCOA for -Confirming Application, was designed by Android software.

It uses Bluetooth signals to detect with nearby s lasting 15 minutes or more. If a later tests positive for the virus, their s can be traced and notified through the programme.

Numerous countries have rolled out -tracing apps, including Australia, Malaysia, Britain, India, , and Italy.

Singapore was among the first with its TraceTogether app launched in March, but privacy concerns hampered its uptake, prompting a switch to wearable devices.

The new coronavirus, which was first detected in China in late 2019, has infected more than 9.62 million people globally and 488,467 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

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