VWS: focus is more on possible phasing out corona apps than developing new ones

Minister Kuipers of VWS reports that his ministry is not focused on the development of new corona apps. According to him, the focus is shifting to managing and possibly phasing out the current apps. VWS no longer accepts unsolicited advice about the apps.

The Dutch Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport reports that the development of ‘digital support tools’ around corona is currently in progress.is in a new phase‘. He reports this in response to parliamentary questions from SGP Member of Parliament Van der Staaij. “We are looking ahead and instead of an emphatic focus on the introduction of new digital support tools, the focus will shift – it is expected – to securing, managing and possibly phasing out the instruments that have been realized to date.”

The minister writes this after members of the Guidance Committee Digital Support Combat Covid-19 two weeks ago complained to de Volkskrant that their advice about the corona apps to the cabinet is sent to the House of Representatives far too late. This committee advises the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport about digital support in the fight against corona, for example with the apps CoronaCheck and CoronaMelder. There are about 15 members on the committee, with knowledge of, for example, epidemiology, virology, technology, privacy and security.

According to Kuipers, it has indeed happened several times that advice was sent later, ‘because of the timing of the advice or because more time was needed to respond to the advice’. In the future, however, the committee will only advise on the corona apps if requested and no longer unsolicited, the ministry has decided. According to Kuipers, this decision was taken because of the other phase in which the development has come.

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