‘Temporary legislation for CoronaMelder app must be extended’

The temporary legislation for the CoronaMelder app must be extended until October 2022. That is what Minister Kuipers of Public Health wants. The app has been out of use since April 22, but the minister would like to extend it until October 10, 2022.

CoronaMelder app

It concerns the Temporary Covid-19 Notification Application Act, which can ensure that the use of the CoronaMelder app is extended by three months. It may also only be three months each time, which means that the current extension lasts until July 10. Kuiper indicates that it cannot be ruled out that we will still have to deal with a pathogenic variant of the virus in the autumn of 2022.

At that time, the Corona Reporter will probably be needed again, so the minister would rather keep it on for a while. Corona Reporter can play an important role in fighting the spread of the virus. The minister writes: “If the Temporary Act notification application Covid-19 expires on July 10, 2022, the legal basis for deploying CoronaMelder after this date will also expire. That is why this draft decision provides for an extension of the Temporary Act until October 10. 2022.”

Stopped as of April 22

The CoronaMelder app was taken off the air in April. The government writes: “Everything is open again. (…) This way you no longer have to stay at home when you have been around someone with corona. And after a positive self-test, most people no longer have to go to the GGD for a confirmation test. As a result, the usefulness of the CoronaMelder app is currently greatly reduced and the app will temporarily stop from April 22, 2022.”

“Due to the discontinuation, the app no ​​longer exchanges (anonymous) data with other CoronaMelder users. Also, data is no longer shared with notification apps from other countries. However, it also immediately reported: “Should a new variant of the coronavirus emerge in the future that requires warning people, CoronaMelder can be reactivated.” It is therefore logical that the minister does not want to say goodbye to this previously useful app too soon.

Not to be confused with CoronaCheck

The CoronaMelder app is the app with which you can find out via location whether you have been near someone who has corona. Not to be confused with the CoronaCheck app, in which you can save your vaccination and test certificates from which a QR code emerges. This app is useful when you travel. So not the CoronaMelder app for a while. It is hoped that a comeback of the app will not be necessary.

Did you use the CoronaMelder app and did it help you? Leave your comment on this article.