When Covid-19 hit, Alberta decided to go its own way on a provincial Covid-19 tracking app. Called AB TraceTogether, the app cost $625,000 to develop, despite being based on open source software released by the government of Singapore called BlueTrace.
The app was a bit of a disaster, requiring users to not only keep their iOS phone’s Bluetooth on at all times, but also to keep their phones unlocked; not very convenient or unobtrusive.
Since then, Apple and Google have collaborated on an improved tracking app, which the Federal government has adopted. Securely developed by arguably the leading mobile software developers out there, the app is both easy to use, anonymous, and unobtrusive.
During the roll out of the Federal Covid tracking app, Alberta abandoned use of its own tracking app just three months after it developed its own, in favour of using the national app. The problem? Since August, no app has been available to Albertans as the national tracking app doesn’t include Alberta and Alberta is no longer using its own app.
What I’m confused by, is the long delay. In September, our much-esteemed Dr. Deena Hinshaw said, “It was announced several weeks ago that Alberta has determined that we will eventually be using the federal app, however, there are still several details that still need to be worked out.”
Canada’s Federal Health Minister, Patty Hajdu, has said, “We are progressing quite nicely…The negotiations are, I think, accelerating,”
I have nothing but respect for Dr. Hinshaw’s transparent and calm approach to this Covid calamity, which is why I’m stumped we have no further details on the move to a broader tracking system. What negotiations are taking place? What details need to be worked out?
Now that school is back in, the weather is cooling and indoor sports are becoming more common, and the holiday season looms on the horizon, now is the crucial time for Covid tracking I would think.