Opposition raises concerns as committee into COVID-19 contact tracing begins in Quebec

MONTREAL -- A parliamentary committee looking into new technological tools that could fight the spread of COVID-19 kicked off in Quebec Wednesday.

The three days of hearings will allow opposition parties to relay their concerns about tracking apps.

"Data is gold," said Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy, who is taking part in the commission.

Last month, the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invited all Canadians to download the free COVID-Alert app, though it is currently only linked to the Ontario health care system.

The app - which won't be really useful until the majority of Canadians have signed up - notifies a user who may have been near another user who tested positive for COVID-19.

Those notified, the prime minister stressed, do not get any information about the smartphone that issued the notification or its owner.

On Wednesday morning Rizqy, along with Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, and Parti Québécois House leader Martin Ouellet, said they would not download the application because, according to them, the benefits are likely to be less than the damages suffered.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2020.

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  FILE- People wearing masks use their smart phones during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Thursday, June 18, 2020. The Government of Canada along with provinces have announced a new downloadable contact tracing app for COVID-19, which is optional for people to use. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette