Virus tracing apps: Which countries are doing what

A man holds a mobile phone diplaying a screenshot of the tracking application StopCovid developed by the French government in an attempt to contain the spread of Covid-19, on May 27, in Paris, as France eases lockdown measures taken to fight against the novel coronavirus. While many apps and related technologies are voluntary, other governments are enforcing their use, since health experts say at least 60% of a population needs to activate them for contact tracing to be effective. — AFP

PARIS: As countries emerge from lockdowns imposed to blunt the coronavirus pandemic, dozens have rolled out phone apps to track a person's movements and who they come into contact with, giving officials a vital tool for limiting contagion risks.

The technology could help avert new surges in Covid-19 infections that might overwhelm hospitals battling an outbreak that has killed more than 350,000 people worldwide in just six months.