Although our country is opening further and further after the lengthy corona crisis, there are still some questions. Is the CoronaMelder app still effective with the omikron variant or can you remove it? What will happen to the CoronaCheck app now that cultural life will revolve around the 1G policy? In this article we will sort out all these questions for you. Are you reading along?
Can you remove the CoronaCheck app and CoronaMelder after the last press conference?
The omikron variant of Covid-19 is spreading all over the world. At the same time, due to the mild complaints, it also seems to be the solution to get us out of this crisis. The press conference of February 15 reflects this optimism. In the coming weeks, most corona measures will gradually expire.
From now on, for example, there are no longer any restrictions on the number of visitors at home, we no longer have to wear mouth caps in many public places and there is the government advice to work in the office half the time. Read our article about how to effectively show up back at the office with your iPhone.
In short: the one and a half meter society is disappearing. But are those two apps that naturally show off on your home screen still necessary? Would you like to save space on your iPhone or make the battery last longer? Wait a while before deleting the CoronaCheck app and the CoronaMelder! Perhaps they are still very useful for you personally.
The CoronaMelder app is effective, but controversial
The CoronaMelder has been live in the Netherlands since October 2020. While downloading this digital automatic source and contact tracing app is not mandatory, there’s a chance it might be on your iPhone. The CoronaMelder app has never been free from criticism. They were afraid that it would put too much pressure on our privacy. The CoronaMelder app of the Ministry of Health has now fallen into oblivion.
The app works via bluetooth so that you do not have to save personal data. The stronger the measured connection to an infected person, the closer you have been. You will then automatically receive a notification to be tested at the GGD. However, this is also not mandatory, so you must always leave your bluetooth on. The battery of your iPhone does not like this very much.
Do you want to remove the CoronaMelder app? Wait a second!
The CoronaMelder app is not as effective as hoped. Due to broader source and contact research by the GGD, the official advice to test after a report of this app has already expired. On February 13, 2022 there were nearly six million downloads, of which 2.5 million are active users†This means that only a third of the Dutch population has downloaded the app. Broader support would make the app much more effective.
Can you then remove the CoronaMelder app from your iPhone? Wait a second! Of course it would be great if we no longer needed this app at all, but maybe in the future it will be the solution to open up our country completely. If you have no problems with the battery-consuming Bluetooth connection and have sufficient storage memory on your iPhone, we recommend that you do not delete the CoronaMelder app yet. Although the app is now of little added value due to its limited use, it does not cause much damage and can still come in handy once in a while.
Are you curious about how this app works? Then read our FAQ about the CoronaMelder app.
The CoronaCheck app is a thing of the past? Not yet!
The CoronaCheck app is on almost every phone. With over 14 million downloads, it has been the solution for a while to reopen the cultural sector, among other things. However, the government has a different plan. Events with more than 500 visitors without a fixed seat only need a negative test certificate. You no longer have to demonstrate that you have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19. The government calls this the 1G policy. Does this mean that you can remove the CoronaCheck app from your iPhone? Simply put: no.
Although you do not need a negative test at all for transfer locations such as museums and outdoor festivals and can therefore simply enter, the app is still extremely useful internationally. For example, are you going on a skiing holiday soon? Then you may have to show your QR code when entering a cafe in the country concerned. However, this differs per country. In the Netherlands, the app only seems necessary (for now) to easily show your negative test evidence at the door.
Most countries within the EU are now color coded ‘yellow’. The Minister of Health, Ernst Kuipers, warns that countries can tighten up travel advice and then use the app frequently again. Our advice: wait a little longer before deleting the CoronaCheck app if you have enough space on your iPhone. You may soon have to reset everything to go to a concert or theater performance.
Do you want to know more about the CoronaCheck app? Then read our CoronaCheck FAQ or learn how to load your negative test certificate, recovery certificate or vaccination certificate into the app.