It is May and there is still no sign that things are improving in relation to the outbreak of new Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Brazil. In other countries, however, the scenario is more controlled, allowing Apple to already draft reopening plans for its stores.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Tim Cook said that Apple Stores in Austria (the country has only one) and Australia (there are 20 in total) are expected to reopen within 1-2 weeks. In addition, the CEO of Apple also commented that some retail units of the company may also reopen in the United States in the first half of May.
According to Cook, Apple “will analyze the data and make a decision city by city, municipality by municipality, depending on the circumstances in that particular location.” Still, the company’s idea is that a good part of stores around the world will reopen sometime this month.
The Apple boss also said that Apple Park (the company’s main headquarters in Cupertino, California, which is closed) is not expected to reopen at least until early June; when it reopens, it will happen in stages, with temperature checks, social distance and the use of masks – the company is also evaluating the possibility of carrying out tests on employees.
CDC approves API from Apple and Google
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC) recently shared a new document, which covers some of the minimum / preferable criteria for applications for tracking people infected with the new Coronavirus.
The exposure notification API created by Apple and Google, according to the document, is closely aligned with the preferred criteria (in areas such as privacy, contact notification, interoperability and others), as reported by CNBC.
In a nutshell, solutions known as centralized systems are considered acceptable by the CDC, while decentralized ones (such as Apple and Google) are preferable. The document is important because it is used by local health authorities to guide them in implementing such a system – or in choosing a solution like the one created by the technology giants.
Meanwhile, in France …
There, the government insists on the idea of ​​creating its own disease tracking / monitoring system; however, in parallel, he also talks with Apple, asking the company to loosen some security / privacy features so that the government has better access to the system, as reported by Reuters.
Stephane Richard, CEO of OrangeIt is worth noting that Apple had already refused to take such action, but now Stephane Richard (CEO of Orange, one of the main telecommunications companies in the country) insists that negotiations are still open. In addition, he denied that Germany had decided to adopt the Apple and Google system – according to Richard, the country is working with both possibilities (creating its own app / system or using the giants’ solution).
Apple COVID-19
Finally, the application created by Apple with information about the disease was updated.
It now supports additional languages ​​and has come with improvements including updated symptoms, recommended actions to align with the latest CDC guidelines, and tips on how to use a cloth mask to protect yourself.
via 9to5Mac, AppleInsider
