Coronavirus: Japan to screen athletes’ devices after Winter Olympics over Covid-19 app fears; South Korea weighs voting options for Covid-19 patients

Japan Sports Agency said experts would inspect the devices for suspicious apps, adding that it was looking to lend devices to its Winter Paralympics delegation

Elsewhere, South Korea is exploring ways to allow people who have caught Covid-19 to still cast their ballot, and anti-vax protests continue in New Zealand

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A Russian athlete look at his phone after the Men’s 15km+15km Skiathlon event at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Photo: EPA

Published: 2:42pm, 9 Feb 2022Updated: 4:43pm, 9 Feb 2022

Members of Japan’s Beijing Winter Olympics delegation will have their mobile devices inspected upon their return amid fears the compulsory Covid-19 app could pose a security risk.

The Japan Sports Agency said on Tuesday that experts will screen the devices with the Beijing Games official app, My2022, installed and will delete suspicious apps if necessary, all with the permission of the phone’s owner.

It is looking to lend mobile devices to the Japanese delegation attending the Winter Paralympic Games that start on March 4, adding that both the JSA and the National Centre of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity will make consulting services available.

Japan’s government had urged those travelling to China for the Olympic Games to prepare an alternative device specifically for the official My2022 app. Photo: AP

Japan’s government had previously urged those travelling to China for the Games to prepare an alternative device specifically for the My2022 app and to keep its use to a minimum and delete the app upon leaving China.

British media reported before the Games that a total of seven Western countries, including Britain and the United States, had called for their athletes not to take personal smartphones with them.

Around 1,000 athletes and coaches reportedly plan to discard the phones they use at the Games.

South Korea weighs voting options for Covid-19 patients ahead of polls

South Korea’s parliament explored ways on Wednesday to allow people who have caught the novel coronavirus to cast their ballot in next month’s presidential election, as the number of new cases spiralled to nearly 50,000 for the first time.