Part of the criticism directed at the federal government’s new COVID-19 tracing app, is that it’s inaccessible to older Canadians.
The free ‘COVID Alert’ app alerts users when their smartphones have been near the phone of a person who identifies they’ve tested positive for COVID-19.
However, the app requires users to have Apple or Android phones made in the past 5 years, and have a newer operating system — leading some to complain that the app doesn’t work on their phone.
One expert says a contact tracing app would need 65% to 80% of all Canadians using it to properly work, and that the current version of the app makes that impossible.
The app is available to download in all parts of Canada, but is initially being tested in Ontario.
