The Corona tracing app will not come into regular use until the end of June at the earliest
The federal government is launching a pilot phase of the corona tracing app next week. The corresponding legal basis is to be adopted by Parliament in the summer session.
It is therefore clear that the tracing of coronavirus cases via app is unlikely to be used regularly until the end of June at the earliest. The final votes on the matters dealt with in the summer session are expected to take place on June 20.
Parliament called for a legal basis for the proximity tracing app in the extraordinary session this week. It referred a corresponding motion to the Federal Council. The Federal Council will adopt an urgent dispatch for the attention of Parliament by 20 May, as it announced on Friday. It will amend the Epidemics Act accordingly.
Data deleted after three weeks
Prior to this, the app developed by the two Federal Institutes of Technology and the federal government will be tested in a pilot phase. The Federal Council intends to issue a temporary ordinance for this test phase next week. The app is intended to help break chains of infection. It should inform its users if they have been in the vicinity of infected people for too long.
According to the Federal Council, use of the app is voluntary. No personal data or location details of app users are used. All data in the app will be deleted after 21 days. The app will only be used during the containment phase. It complements the contact tracing that the cantons will be carrying out again across the board from next week.
Voluntary registration in restaurants
The Federal Council has also approved the changes to the Covid-19 Ordinance for the opening of restaurants from next Monday. As already communicated, a maximum of four people or parents with children are allowed at a table. All guests must be seated. A distance of two meters or separating elements are required between tables.
In order to enable contact tracing in the restaurants as well, the contact details of one person from each guest group should be recorded. This information is voluntary. The Federal Data Protection Commissioner had already announced this on Thursday following criticism of plans to the contrary. (SDA/swi)
