Germany’s Health Ministry announced on Sunday that the coronavirus warning application used on millions of smartphones is being deactivated. From Monday, users will no longer be able to warn others after a positive COVID-19 test or receive a red warning of high-risk encounters.
The app is expected to move into dormant mode by the beginning of June and remain inactive until further notice. Users may keep it on their smartphones to continue accessing digital vaccination certificates.
According to its developers, more than nine million people used the app to issue over 270 million warnings following positive coronavirus tests. Since its launch on June 16, 2020, it has been downloaded more than 48 million times and reached 35 million users. Installed on smartphones, the app measured the distance and duration of encounters.
The ministry said the app could be reactivated immediately if the pandemic situation became critical again, according to a German Press Agency (dpa) report on Sunday.
