The COVID Diaries – 82 18th June
In another embarrassing U-turn, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that the government has been forced to abandon a centralised coronavirus contact-tracing app after spending three months and millions of pounds on technology that experts had repeatedly warned would not work.
Instead the government will now develop an alternative designed by the US tech companies Apple and Google which is months away from being ready.
Hancock said the government would not “put a date” on when the new app would be ready, although officials admitted it was likely to be in the autumn or winter.