Tuesday at a regularly scheduled press conference, the director of Health and Human Services, Lori Shibinette, said New Hampshire would not using apps on mobile phones as part of its efforts to track the spread of COVID-19.
“We have looked at different apps … We just didn’t think that was the right fit for New Hampshire,” said Shibonnette.
She said between 110 and 135 people regularly work on the tracing teams, figuring out how people with COVID-19 got the diseases and whether they might have given it to other people. The National Guard has been helping in that effort but will be pulling out. Shibonnette said the state would be hiring contractors to fill the gaps.
Some places are using mobile phone apps, which can keep a continuous record of people’s movements even if the phone isn’t being used, to track the disease. They are especially popular with more authoritarian states like China and Singapore. As you might expect, this has raised plenty of concern about privacy and control of personal data.
It appears the Apple and Google traceing app’s have privacy protection and would be very useful. And if people don’t want to use them they don’t have to install the app.
Totally agree with you Michael Brittan