Behind the scenes, a lot of work is being done on the coronavirus app CoronaMelder. This app, which may be introduced nationally from 1 September, is an additional tool to the RIVM guidelines to prevent a second corona wave. From mid-August, practical tests will be carried out on how CoronaMelder works in addition to the regular source and contact investigation of the GGD. In the second half of August, the House of Representatives will vote on CoronaMelder. You decide whether you want to use the app.
The coronavirus is still in the Netherlands. That is why it is important to stay alert with the whole family and to adhere to the basic rules:keep 1,5 meters away, work from home as much as possible, avoid crowded places and wash your hands often. Do you have any complaints? Then stay home and get tested. Only if new infections are detected quickly can we protect each other. CoronaMelder helps with this.
Thanks to the app, more people are notified in a short time that they have been in the vicinity of an infected person. This can be someone you know, but also someone you were close to on public transport who also had the app on his or her phone. As a result, in addition to the regular source and contact research of the GGD, CoronaMelder also reaches people who do not know or remember an infected person. Because all those people can have themselves tested earlier, the chance of further spreading the virus is limited.
What you want to know about CoronaMelder
1. The app is still under development. A decision will be made at the end of August whether the app will be launched.
2. The use of the app is voluntary. No one should force you to use the app.
3. CoronaMelder works with bluetooth, not with location data (GPS). So the app doesn't know where you are and can't track you.
4. In the app you do not enter any personal information such as your name or telephone number.
5. CoronaMelder does not report on current infections in the area. That is why it is important to keep a distance of 1.5 meters and to wash your hands frequently.
There will be various tests in the coming period. For example, the app will be tested in practice from mid-August in the GGD regions of Twente and Drenthe.
Read more about CoronaMelder at www.coronamelder.nl or www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/coronavirus-app.
