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Even France’s Prime Minister Didn’t Download a Covid-Tracing App

Even France’s Prime Minister Didn’t Download a Covid-Tracing App

France’s app to track Covid-19 infections is so unsuccessful that even the prime minister didn’t download it.

Jean Castex acknowledged he wasn’t using the app during a talk show on France 2 TV on Thursday.

“I encourage the French to do it, but I didn’t,” he said. Asked why, he said that given his job, he wasn’t overly exposed to the virus. “I’m not riding the metro,” he added.

Even France’s Prime Minister Didn’t Download a Covid-Tracing App

Earlier this month, Castex was isolating after being in contact with a Covid-positive official on the Tour de France.

The StopCovid app, which became available in June, warns users when they’ve been in touch with a Covid-positive contact for a prolonged period. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal acknowledged earlier this month that the app has been a disappointment. Developed by the French research institute Inria, StopCovid was downloaded only 2.3 million times in the three months after its launch.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.