Could somebody tell me, do you have to have a smart phone to be able to partake in this?
I don't have a smart phone and a lot of my elderly neighbours don't either. This is because a lot of us oldies can't figure out how to use them.So, does this mean this plan would be of no use to us, does the Government think that everybody in the country has a smart phone, the internet and all the other gadgets you seem to need these days.I live on a complex of 14 bungalows for the elderly and I would say more than half don't have the internet.
this will also be an issue (for non-smart-phone-users) if (as expected) supermarkets adopt a "virtual queue" system as is being trialled in a number of places; ie, drive in, log in online and stay in your car until called.
>does the Government think that everybody in the country has a smart phone, the internet and all the other gadgets you seem to need these days.
No. "Epidemiologists suggest that for the UK as a whole, about 60% of the population needs to install and use the software for it to live up to its full potential." They are getting towards that in the Isle of Wight pilot. Australia and Singapore managed around 20-25%
There are track and trace people who have been appointed who will contact all those who have been in contact with those with the virus
They don't expect to find every case. But if say 50% have the app it can quickly clamp down on the spread by tracing and getting them to self isolate. If you/we don't want the app then that's your/our choice
I don't have a smart phone, never felt the need for one. But as I haven't been out except for a walk since before lockdown I don't see why I should need one.
As was said right from the beginning it will be in addition to traditional shoe leather tracing. I also think that what has been said about the app is that 60% of smart phone users will need to adopt it for it to be useful, not 60% of the population. I think it will be of most use in that sector of the population who has many contacts in many places, so more likely those who are at work.
Unfortunately, the UK Government App will be next to useless.
The App has to be always on which means that it will quickly kill the battery in most phones, so people won’t use it.
I trialed the Swiss and the Arab Emirates apps to see how they would work on my phone, and the battery hit was severe.