German COVID-19 app hopes to curb spread of virus

DUSSELDORF, Germany — The German government hopes a  new phone app will keep people safe from COVID-19 and stop its spread.  

Corona-Warn-App sends a notification if users come into contact with someone suspected or confirmed to have the virus, and updates users once every 24 hours. 

According to politician Florian Braun, the government has so far spent 64 million euros on the app. 

If someone is confirmed as having the virus, a message is sent to all other app users who have come into contact with them in the past 14 days.

“All my friends have downloaded it. With the app,they aren't going near anyone diagnosed with the coronavirus. At first I was a bit scared about people knowing where I was, or what I was doing. But I believe health comes first,” said student Ben Schuhmann. 

“I haven't downloaded it yet. Like other people, I was reluctant about downloading it for privacy reasons. I was afraid that others might know where I was because of the app, or steal information from my phone, added Kano Lin. 

However, IT experts say the app is secure and users should feel safe using it. 

“The app does not know who you are, how old you are or where you live. All the app knows is a secret code consisting of numbers and pin codes,” said IT expert Hassan Hayatbakish. 

“The app is advanced and has yet to be criticized. No one should be worried when using it,” he added. 

The app is currently available in German, Arabic and Turkish and is free to download. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Saturday that the situation in Germany “remains serious.”

"We must all view it as our shared obligation, and understand that by following the rules on minimum physical distance, facial coverings and hand hygiene, every one of us contributes to our shared destiny," she said in a weekly video message.

Germany has confirmed more than 194,000 cases of the COVID-19, with almost 9,000 deaths.

Reporting by Alla Shali