Coronavirus: UK ditches its contact-tracing app, eyes Apple's & Google's for their model

Britain has ditched its current contact tracing app, and anunced on Thursday that it would switch to Apple and Google techlogy for test-and-trace application. According to international media reports, both Apple and Google have been in talks with Britain about ir model that has attracted interest of over 20 countries. Furr, Apple and Google's model uses a 'decentralized' approach. Britain's option of this approach will in line with a growing number of European countries. 

current app that is being used by UK is being tested on Isle of Wight, off sourn coast of England where it proved to work well on Google's Android operating system, but t on Apple's iPhones. While several ministers h mitted to technical issues with app, it was declared that app was t rey to launch on May 28 for England's test and trace system. 

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While Apple and Google's model has attracted several countries, some governments have reportedly also complained about restrictions that smartphones have imposed as it undercuts techlogy's usefulness by prioritizing user privacy. Meanwhile, test-and-trace program is seen as a key measure in order to re-open country. However, it has also been criticized after  nationwide roll-out of a National Health Service (NHS)-developed smartphone app that slipped from last month towards end of year. 

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WHO welcomes Dexamethasone trial 

On June 16, World Health Organisation (WHO) welcomed preliminary clinical trial results from United Kingdom that show Dexamethasone-- a steroid that can be lifesaving for coronavirus patients who are kept under ventilator or oxygen support. WHO Director-General Tedros ham congratulated UK government, which partially funded trials that were led by Oxford University. Meanwhile, British Health Minister Matt Hancock stated that COVID-19 patients in UK will be given dexamethasone immediately. According to minister, Britain h alrey started stockpiling drug since March. 

Becoming fifth country in line, according to latest reports, re are over 300,469 cases of coronavirus in United Kingdom, out of which around 42,288 deaths have been reported to date. 

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