COVID-19: over 2 million people download contact tracing app in Australia

Melbourne: Over two million Australians have downloaded the new COVIDSafe app launched by the government to speed up contact tracing and minimise the risk of the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

The new voluntary app is said to be an important public health initiative that will help keep the people and community safe through early notification of possible exposure.

"An extraordinary 2.44 million Australians have downloaded and registered for the COVIDSafe app," Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a press conference on Tuesday.

The health initiative uses technology to automate and improve what state and territory health officials already do manually.

COVIDSafe will speed up the process of identifying people who have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with coronavirus, quickly stopping further spread of the virus in the community.

Australians are doing an extraordinary job to flatten the curve and contain the spread of the coronavirus, but we cannot be complacent, Prime Minister Scott Morrison had said while launching the app on April 26.

Health Minister Hunt said the country reported 100 cases in seven days and the total number of infections has reached 6,727 as reported by the National incidence centre. A total of 85 people have lost their lives from the deadly disease.

He said that Australia has recorded only 12 positive cases in the last 24 hours till 6.30am (local time) on Tuesday.

"That includes the fact that most significantly there was only one case from an unknown source. Only one case of community transmission across Australia.

"That is perhaps the most important figure I have had the privilege of raising since coming into this role and dealing with the coronavirus issue," he said.

"It means that as a country we are not just flattening the curve but we are consolidating it, extending it and securing it,'' Hunt said.

PTI