Roblox gamers must pay to die with an 'oof'

 

Fans of the hugely popular Roblox game may soon notice that a familiar noise has fallen silent in the game.

The "oof" sound that famously accompanies the death of characters will temporarily be removed, following a copyright dispute.

When it is reinstated, gamers will have to buy it, paying around around $1 (£0.76) or 100 in-game currency Robux.

The developer who originally created the sound for a game released 20 years ago, will get compensation.

'Oof guy'

Tommy Tallarico is now chief executive of gaming firm Intellivision Entertainment, but has 30 years experience in the industry as a music and sound producer.

When the similarity between the Roblox "oof" and the sound he made for action-adventure game Messiah was brought to his attention last year, he contacted the firm.

Under the settlement, he will also create a sound effect kit for Roblox which developers can use, with prices ranging from $10 to $250.

The financial details of the copyright case have not been shared.

He told the FOXTECH: "It's amazing to think that such a small sound I did over 20 years ago for a different video game ended up being one of the most iconic pop culture audio clips of the 21st century.

"I would hear kids saying it on playgrounds and didn't even realize that they were repeating something I had created over two decades ago.

"It was great that we were able to come to a resolution with Roblox and they were very accommodating of the situation. It's kind of funny to think that out of all the things I've done over my 32 years in the video game industry... that for a new generation of video game players, I'm now just known as the Oof guy."

Roblox is an open world game-creation system with around 100 million users, and is especially popular with children.

It is free to download but relies on in-app purchases, with in-game currency known as Robux.

A spokesperson for Roblox told the FOXTECH: "We worked together to find a fair resolution that allows Tommy to become part of the Roblox community.

"As part of our commitment towards UGC content, we will replace the platform's default 'game over' sound effect with a new audio track later this month.

"When our Developer Marketplace is available, people will also be able to choose community created sounds for platform-wide events."

Don't do these 3 mistakes no matter how you like a girl

 There is nothing more intoxicating than love. But as a guy, no matter how a feeling love has overwhelmed you, avoid these 3 mistakes.

(1). Avoid using money to impress a girl. No matter how financially balanced you are, don't impress a girl with money because you like her. For a girl to be devoted to a relationship, she has to become emotionally connected to you. And for that to happen, you have to leave money aside and see that she truly likes you for who you are. Then, you can spend on her as it pleases you. Otherwise, by placing yourself as a financial provider first, you are likely to attract girls who value money over a genuine relationship.

(2). Avoid being desperate because you like a girl. Some guys, just to raise their standard so that a girl will like them, they will borrow clothes, tell lies here and there, and make life difficult for themselves by thinking of how they will keep up with pretense every day. See, If a girl likes you for who you are, you will have rest of mind. Trust and value will also be there. So, avoid being a person you are not because of girls, it leads to so many things.

(3). Lastly, avoid giving up your dreams because of a girl. Being in a relationship is nice and helpful at times but always know who you are, where you came from, and where you are going in life. If a relationship or the girl you're dating is not moving you forward, quit it the relationship. Don't allow pleasures to ruin what the future has for you. So many guys tried it and ended up blaming the girls, but the real issue started the day they forgot their selves. Before you met her, there were plans, keep them alive!

This is life, if you avoid these three things mentioned above, you will still find a girl who will strengthen you and love you for who you are.

Please, follow, like, and share for more updates, thanks.

Guys, If You Want To Know If A Girl Loves You From The Bottom Of Her Heart, Give Her These 5 Tests.

 As a man, there are some ways to know if a girl loves you from the bottom of her heart and I am here today to show you how to do that, because before you propose to any girl, or be with any girl, you should know if she loves you from the bottom of her heart for your own good.

Human beings are blessed with the ability of deception, and someone who does not love you might even pretend that she does for more than a year just because of the things she gains from you, but worry no more, I will tell you how to know if she truly love you in this article, just try and read to the end.

Before I list those ways, you should stop trying to get a lady by throwing money at her, no one will reject good things and real men don't play such games.

1.

When you are with her, try to talk about eating out or clubbing and just spending money like it grows on trees and see how she will react, because a girl who loves you for the bottom of her heart will not allow you do that.

Instead, she will take little money, cook whatever you want at home and tell you to save the rest, but a girl who doesn't jump up and want you two to just spend the money, she will not care about your future, or whether you even have enough or not.

2.

Set up a separate account, put 20 thousand Naira in the account, give her the ATM card and tell her to go and withdraw any amount of money she wants from the account and buy whatever she wants for herself, and then see how much she will take.

A girl who truly loves you will check the balance and take only 25 percent of the money which is 5,000 Naira, but a girl who doesn't will.most likely rake everything.

3.

When you are with her, try and open up the discussion with regards her plan for the future for you and her and see what she will say, of how she will react.

A girl who loves you from the bottom of her heart will be very happy to discuss it with you, she will even want to start life with you immediately, but if she does not, she will be postponing it until you stop bringing up the topic.

4.

Try and bring up the idea of going to see her parents or tell her to introduce you to her parents, family and relatives and see how she will respond to that.

If she does not love you, she will either say it is too early even if you have been with her for a year, or she will find a way to avoid it until you stop asking.

5.

A girl who truly love you will never want to win in an argument with you. Try and raise an argument, if she loves you from the bottom of her heart, she will be quick to say i am sorry, but later, she will then tell you about your wrong. Mind you, you then have to apologize to her and tell her it was just a test.

Women who truly loves you will just want you to be happy even at their own expense.

Well, now you know what to do in order to find out if a girl love you from the bottom of her heart. Do these and thank me later.

Please, like and share this post, let others know, don't forget to leave a comment about what you think with regards to this post in the comments section and follow my account for more relationships posts, thank you.

See What Joe Biden Promised Some Muslim Nations Immediately He Assumes Office Next Year

 After one of the most heated moments in the history of politics in the United States of America, the Democratic Presidential Candidate, Joe Biden, was declared winner of the recently concluded elections. Joe Biden was declared as president-elect after scoring 50.6% of the total votes casted, as well as 290 electoral college votes, against the Trump's 47.7% votes and 214 electoral college votes. In a Nationwide broadcast after he was declared winner, Biden thanks Americans for given him this opportunity to lead the country in the next four years.

According to Washington Post, the President-elect, Joe Biden, is planning to quickly sign a series of executive orders after being sworn into office on January 20, next year immediately forecasting that the country’s politics have shifted and that his presidency will be guided by radically different priorities.

Among the executive orders he will sign immediately include the promise he made to some muslim nations. Donald Trump's administration has placed migration ban on some muslim majority countries across the world. But Joe Biden promised to repeal that ban immediately he assumes office next year. He also promised to halt U.S withdrawal from the World Health Organisation which the Trump's administration initially agreed to do. He will rejoin the Paris climate accords, according to those close to his campaign and commitments he has made in recent months before his election as US president.

Do These 5 Things To Get Rid Of Them If You Have Whiteheads On Your Face

An average person would tell you that whiteheads is a result of disease or medical conditions ongoing beneath the skin, but that is not the case as whiteheads a naturally occurring constituents of a humans face, especially during the puberty and post-puberty stages when the hormones are at their peaks in the body. 

What causes whiteheads? Simply out that the blockage of the skinn pores will bring forth whiteheads when you press the surface of your skin. This is because the skin does not wait for humans to moisturise it, instead it discharges oily substance through the skin pure to the surface itself and ensure that the skin is never dry or irritated by sunlight, ultraviolet rays and others.

Illustrative image showing the appearance of whiteheads on the skin

However, when these oily substances are blocked from access to the skin surfaces, they get trapped in the skin pores thereby getting clogged in the tiny space without being able to perform their basic function. Moments after getting clogged in the space, they begin to solidify and hence come out as solids when the face is eased of pressure. 

Skin Health Specialists and Experts will assert that even though whiteheads can be experienced in every part of the face, it is most inherent and abundant at the T zone i.e the nose and crow areas as they contain large and more pores for conveyance of the skin lubricants.

Illustrative image shown the appearance of Blackheads on the nose

Also, there are basically two types of this biological occurrence, one is popular known as Whiteheads or Closed Comedones, while the second one is called the Blackheads. They have similar characteristics and formation, only that the blackheads are expended from larger pores and the oil (sebum) would have mixed with keratinocytes and several dead cells which makes it appear more darker and bears similar color to the color of the body.

Whiteheads can also cause a pimple infection when care is not taken, because the clogged pore will continue to block the passage of foreign and waste materials from the skin and continuous blockage can lead to inflammation of the skin cells, which manifests in form of a pimple. So be careful not to be oblivious of whiteheads when they are present on your face to save yourself from the trouble of fending off pimples attacks on your face.
As harmless as whiteheads can be, they can cause social panic or distress when the person who carries them finds out in the midst of a crowd, this is why it is vest to get rid of white heads with the simple practices that will be explained in this article. 

1. Wash your Face 2-3 times a day to ensure that your skin is clean and does not block any pore and hence cause whiteheads.

2. Aloe Vera and Tea tree are two of the most dearest natural skin aids that can be used again whiteheads as Aloe Vera clears your face off oily substances and dirts when it applied.

3. Before you sleep, clean and wipe your face with cotton and a preferable toner, but ensure that the toner does not contain alcohol.

4. Use Cucumber as skin moisturizer, because the fruit is highly beneficial for a healthy skin and is mostly recomemned by skin health experts as a natural herbal regimen. 

5. Stay away from junk foods, especially those containing high levels of oils and fatty components.

I hope this was helpful in some way. Thank you for reading and best regards.

Coronavirus kills 31 patients in 24 hours, 490 new cases recorded

274 people who have recovered from the disease were also released on Tuesday.

31 people were killed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The agency's Tuesday update showed that the number of fatalities increased from 424 to 455 in the past 24 hours.

The majority of deaths have been recorded in Lagos State (107), the epicentre of the outbreak in Nigeria, followed by 50 in Kano, and 30 in Borno.

The NCDC's daily update also showed that 490 new cases of the highly infectious disease were detected in the past 24 hours.

Lagos recorded 142 cases, followed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with 60, Bayelsa with 54, Rivers with 39, Delta with 37, and Oyo with 30.

26 new cases were also recorded in Kaduna, 23 in Imo, 19 in Enugu, 17 in Kwara, 11 in Gombe, and 10 in Edo.

Other states that recorded new cases on Tuesday are Bauchi (8), Ogun (7), Borno (6), and Benue (1).

The total number of cases recorded in 35 states and the FCT now stands at 17,148.

274 people who have recovered from the disease were released on Tuesday, raising the total number of recovered patients to 5,623.

Juneteenth: Trump changes Tulsa Oklahoma rally date 'out of respect'

US President Donald Trump is postponing his first post-coronavirus lockdown election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma so it does not fall on a holiday commemorating the end of US slavery.

He tweeted that the 19 June rally would be held a day later out of respect for the occasion, known as Juneteenth.

The choice of date had drawn criticism amid nationwide anti-racism protests.

The location was also controversial, as Tulsa saw one of the worst massacres of black people in US history in 1921.

Up to 300 people died when a white mob attacked the prosperous black neighbourhood of Greenwood, known as the "Black Wall Street", with guns and explosives. About 1,000 businesses and homes were also 

Why is Juneteenth significant?

Juneteenth is not a federal holiday, but is widely celebrated by African Americans.

It celebrates the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation to enslaved African Americans in Texas.

Texas was the last state of the Confederacy - the slaveholding southern states that seceded, triggering the Civil War - to receive the proclamation, on 19 June 1865, months after the end of the war

President Trump initially defended the timing of his rally, telling Fox News: "Think about it as a celebration. My rally is a celebration. In the history of politics, I think I can say there's never been any group or any person that's had rallies like I do."

But critics accused him of disrespecting the date and the significance of Tulsa to US history.

"This isn't just a wink to white supremacists - he's throwing them a welcome home party," said Democratic Senator Kamala Harris 

Explaining the decision to move his rally, Mr Trump tweeted: "Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests..."

America Great Again" rally in Tulsa will be the president's first campaign event since 2 March, when the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to mass gatherings.

Mr Trump is seeking re-election in November 2020, but polls show him lagging behind his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.

Campaign rallies are seen as a key method of energising his base, and Oklahoma is traditionally a Republican-voting state. 

event will proceed against a backdrop of ongoing protests against racial inequality and police brutality, triggered by the death of African American man George Floyd on 25 May. Mr Floyd, who was unarmed, died in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota after a policeman knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.

The rally is being held in a 19,000-seat indoor arena, and concerns have been raised about the potential risks.

The US has the world's highest official death toll from coronavirus. More than 114,600 people have died there with the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, and there have been more than two million confirmed infections.

Oklahoma has one of the country's lowest infection rates, and businesses are reopening - but the state's Governor Kevin Stitt has urged residents to keep social distancing and to "minimise time spent in crowded environments".

People buying tickets for the Tulsa rally online have to click on a waiver confirming that they "voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to Covid-19" and will not hold the president's campaign responsible for "any illness or injury".

Correspondents say that while the virus remains a threat, Mr Trump's campaign considers that large crowds at the recent protests will make it harder for his opponents to criticise his rallies.

The president has said he plans to hold further events in Florida, Texas, North Carolina and 

Is Donald Trump's re-election bid in peril?

Polls indicate that the president is trailing Joe Biden - by double digits in some surveys. A recent Economist magazine analysis gives Biden a five in six chance of winning by an electoral margin reminiscent of Barack Obama's comfortable win in 2008.

Trump is running with the same strategy as in 2016, but his struggles suggest that this year the national mood may be different. The American public, grappling with more than 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, a resulting economic slump and now nationwide protests about racial injustice and policing, may have no stomach for further confrontation. The president's bellicosity and bravado, which has served him in the past, at times seems out of step with a public that wants empathy, healing and reconciliation.

The president is touting "law and order" at a time when public opinion has dramatically shifted in favour of the Black Lives Matter movement and toward the belief that racial and ethnic discrimination is a real problem that will be a priority when voting in November.

relationship with President Buhari, IBB’s families

One of the sons of Nigeria’s late Head of State, Sani Abacha, Sadiq, has disclosed how the family relates with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sadiq said his family relates fine with President Buhari’s family.

Speaking with BBC Hausa service on Wednesday, the son of the late dictator said his family also relates well with that of ex-Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, IBB.

He also lamented that most of his father’s friends abandoned them after his demise.

According to Sadique: “We relate well with the Babangida family.

“Our present relationship with some of our late father’s friends is surprising. We exchange pleasantries with the family of General Babangida. We are in good terms.

READ ALSO : Gov Oyetola’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Adebisi is dead: Police officer regains freedom

“It is only with members of the Babangida family that whenever we meet, we associate and share stories.

“We also relate well with family members of President Muhammadu Buhari. But it’s only with the Babangida’s family that we recall the past.”

Gov Oyetola’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Adebisi is dead

Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s Deputy Chief of Staff on General Administration, Barrister Mikhail Adejare Adebisi, is dead.

DAILY POST gathered that  Adebisi died at an undisclosed hospital in Lagos State after a long illness.

The deceased, from Irepodun Local Government, died less than a year after he was inaugurated into office.

Details later….

Democracy Day: I have recorded notable achievements, Buhari boasts

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Friday assessed his regime as the nation commemorates Democracy Day and returned a verdict that he has recorded “notable achievements.”

Buhari made the declaration in his nationwide broadcast to the nation.

The President said, “We have recorded notable achievements in the course of implementing our nine priority objectives and are establishing a solid foundation for future success.

“On the economic front, our objectives have remained to stabilise the macroeconomy, achieve agricultural and food security, ensure energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products, develop infrastructure, fight corruption and improve governance.

“We have witnessed eleven quarters of consecutive GDP growth since exiting recession. The GDP grew from 1.91% in 2018 to 2.27% in 2019 but declined to 1.87% in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the decline in global economic activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Coronavirus: Fracas on Brazil's Copacabana over Covid-19 'graves'

Activists angry at Brazil's response to Covid-19 have created 100 graves on Rio's Copacabana beach to remember the country's nearly 40,000 victims.

However, organisers said supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro had mocked the event with one man pulling out crosses.

The president's opposition to lockdowns and his downplaying of the virus have deeply divided the nation.

Brazil has the world's second-highest number of cases - and the third-highest number of deaths in the world.

Brazil's domestic workers cut adrift in pandemic

In pictures: Indigenous nurse on frontline in virus fight

'Our biggest problem is fake news'

The symbolic graves, with black crosses, were dug before dawn opposite the Copacabana Hotel by members of the Rio de Paz group.

Organiser Antonio Carlos Costa told Reuters news agency: "The president has not realised that this is one of the most dramatic crises in Brazil's history.

"Families are mourning thousands of dead, and there is unemployment and hunger."

But he said some supporters of the president had mocked the project.

"They feel such rage - and I think they're reproducing the behaviour of the person occupying the highest position in the land," he said.

One man went around knocking down the crosses.

Only the US has more confirmed Covid-19 cases than Brazil figures from Johns Hopkins University show.

Brazil has the third-worst figure on deaths, now at 40,919 according to latest health ministry release, and this is expected to pass the UK's number soon.

June 12: Nigeria must be restructured to federating units – Gani Adams explodes

To free Nigerians from “bondage”, Nigeria must be restructured into federating units.

This is according to the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, in a statement sent to DAILY POST on Thursday in commemoration of the June 12, 1993, anniversary.

He expressed joy that part of the dreams of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), has been realized with the official naming of June 12 as the Democracy Day.

Adams, however, regretted that despite the sacrifices of the activists and pro-democracy groups, democracy is yet to take its root in Nigeria.

He stated that Nigeria can only get it right with true federalism, pointing out that the only way out of the political logjam is to let the federating states develop at their own pace.

You can also read   Coronavirus yet to reach its peak – Buhari

Adams noted that when federating units are allowed to develop at their own pace, there will be mutual benefits and progress.

He said the issue of security and state police would be taken care of without fear or favour.

“The kind of democracy we fought for during the June 12 struggle. It is far different from what we are seeing now. The struggle for the actualisation of the mandate given freely to the late M.K.O. Abiola in a free and fair election then was a long, hard battle to survive the military onslaughts”

“Those of us alive today still remember those moments with a lot of regrets, and surprises. We think of how we were able to survive those trying periods. The journey for this democracy has been tortuous. Today, our democracy is at best, one step forward and five steps backward. But in all, we thank God that we are alive to tell the story.

“We got it wrong right from the outset. We got it wrong with leadership. Nigeria has been crippled by bad leadership. This has always been our problem. All our leaders have lost touch with the people at the grassroots, that is why we must continue to press for justice until we get the best for Nigeria and Nigerians.”

Adams added that the lesson of the June 12 election is for a lifetime for everybody, stressing that no matter how long the long arm of lies persists, the truth will one day prevail.

Coronavirus yet to reach its peak – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned that that the coronavirus pandemic is yet to reach its peak

Buhari warned against laxity in the fight against the pandemic and charged the ECOWAS Commission to come up with an economic recovery plan to help member-states to recover from COVID-19 shock.

He spoke on Thursday at a virtual meeting with the President of the Commission, Jean Kassi-Brou.

Buhari promised to provide logistic support to enable the sub-region receive and distribute procured and donated medical equipment using Abuja as the hub for the distribution.

The Nigerian leader expressed ECOWAS appreciation for the “swift interventions made to the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and the Africa Centre for Disease Control by the Jack Ma Foundation.”

He commended development partners such as the European Union, African Development Bank, France and Germany for their “financial contributions in the procurement of medical supplies.”

Speaking, Kassi-Brou advocated additional strategies to assist the sub-region in fighting the health and economic impact of COVID-19.

He listed them as advocacy at continental and global levels including the G20, World Bank, United Nations and the African Development Bank, to get their support to negate the health and economic damage to the ECOWAS sub-region.

England test and trace system identifies 31,000 contacts

More than 31,000 close contacts were identified during the first week of the test and trace system in England, figures show.

Of those, 85% were reached in 24 hours and asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

This was from 8,000 people testing positive for coronavirus - two-thirds of whom provided details of their close contacts.

Around 25,000 contact tracers were recruited in England and started work at the end of May.

The NHS figures, which cover 28 May to 3 June, are the first to be released showing the progress of the contact tracing scheme.

'More to do'

Baroness Dido Harding, who runs NHS Test and Trace in England, said there was still "more to do to improve the speed" of the system but she said "the vast majority of people are participating and playing their part".

"I want to say thank you to people for protecting themselves and their communities," she added.

The system has been unable to reach 15% of close contacts, either because they were unavailable, their contact details were wrong or they did not respond to texts, emails or calls from contact tracers.

They are told to try calling 10 times in a 24-hour period.

Some who were reached did not agree to self-isolate.

But Baroness Harding said there had been "good numbers of compliance".

As lockdown eases, and people start to return to work and go out to shops, it's expected the number of contacts people have will start to grow from a low starting point.

Does this represent a good start?

The data from the test and trace system in England has been eagerly anticipated - after all, this system will be crucial in helping contain local outbreaks, enabling the country to ease out of lockdown.

It is still early days, but how should we interpret these findings?

Firstly, the system seems to be pretty good at reaching the contacts of people who have tested positive, if those positive cases engage with the contact tracers and provide details in the first place.

The problem is a third of people who test positive are not providing details.

This could be because the contact tracers are not as good as they should be at tracking those who do not engage with the online forms (the first point of call for the system).

There have been suggestions that sufficient translation support is not always available, for example.

But incorrect contact details being provided and people simply refusing to take calls - despite repeated attempts - are certainly factors too.

The key to the success of the system will be both an efficient service and public engagement in taking calls and following the advice to self-isolate.

What is test and trace?

It's a way of controlling the spread of the virus by asking people who have tested positive for coronavirus to share information on who they have been in close contact with.

It starts with getting a test if you have symptoms.

If you test positive for the virus, tracers will text, email or call you and ask you to log on to the NHS Test and Trace website to provide details of contacts.

Close contacts will then be told to stay at home for 14 days, even if they don't have symptoms.

This process is organised slightly differently around the UK.

What happens around the UK?

In Scotland, the system is called NHS Test and Protect, Between 28 May and 7 June 2020, 741 contacts were traced from 681 positive tests for the virus - an average of 1.5 contacts per case.

Northern Ireland was the first part of the UK to bring in contact tracing.

Contact tracing started in Wales on 1 June and is called 'test, trace, protect'.

Coronavirus: Ministers consider NHS contact-tracing app rethink

Concerns about the risks of deploying a go-it-alone UK coronavirus contact-tracing app are causing further delays.

A second version of the smartphone software was due to have begun testing on the Isle of Wight on Tuesday, but the government decided to postpone the trial.

Ministers are considering switching the app over to tech developed by Apple and Google.

But countries testing that model are experiencing issues of their own.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock had originally said the NHS Covid-19 app was to be launched across England - and possibly other parts of the UK - by 1 June.

But he subsequently said the government had decided it would be better to establish a network of human contract tracers first.

However, the BBC has discovered that one of the main reasons the initiative is running behind schedule is that developers are having problems using Bluetooth as a means to estimate distance.

Even so, they still believe they are better placed to tackle the challenge than counterparts overseas who are working under constraints imposed by the two US tech firms.

Bluetooth handshakes

Contact-tracing apps are designed to prevent a second wave of infections by keeping a log of when two people are in close proximity to each other and for how long.

If one of the users later tests positive for the disease, the records are used to determine how likely it is they infected the other. If required, an alert is triggered to help prevent the further spread of the virus.

The UK has adopted what is known as a "centralised" approach, meaning that the contact-matching process is carried out on a remote computer server. One benefit is it offers epidemiologists more data to tackle the pandemic. France and India are other countries to have adopted this model.

By contrast, Apple and Google's "decentralised" approach carries out the matches on the handsets themselves, on the grounds this better protects users' privacy.

Poland switched its app from a centralised to decentralised approach on Tuesday. Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Italy and Latvia are among others to have adopted the tech giants' design.

Both systems rely on Bluetooth "handshakes" to work.

Number 10 is concerned that iPhones will not always detect each other because of a restriction Apple has imposed on apps that do not adopt its model.

But the UK team has devised a workaround and is more concerned about other limitations of using Bluetooth.

Train trouble

Some of these issues were outlined in a study published by Trinity College Dublin last month.

It highlighted problems with using received Bluetooth signal strength as a means to estimate distance.

Researchers warned signal strength "can vary substantially" depending on:

• how deeply a handset is placed in a bag
• whether the signal has to pass through a human body to reach the other phone
• if the two people are walking side-by-side or one behind the other
• if the devices are indoors rather than outdoors
• whether the smartphone is surrounded by metal objects

The report highlighted troubling results when Singapore's TraceTogether app was tested.

An experiment within a stationary train carriage found that when users moved from a distance of 3.5m (11.5ft) to 4m, signals became stronger rather than weaker because of the way metal objects were reflecting the radio waves.

A trial in a supermarket also found the received signal strength was the same whether two people were walking close together or 2m apart.

Follow-up tests using Apple-Google's tech are currently under way.

"The work is ongoing, but preliminary results are broadly consistent with previous observations," said Dr Brendan Jennings, who has been tasked with assessing the effectiveness of Ireland's Covid-19 app.

Hidden data

The team behind Switzerland's SwissCovid app is carrying out tests of its own.

Its Bluetooth measurement chief believes the issue can be partly addressed by taking a range of readings over a period of five minutes or more.

But he added that Apple and Google had placed curbs on what could be achieved.

"The Google and Apple API [application programming interface] limits the amount of raw information that is actually exposed to the app," Prof Mathias Payer told the BBC.

"For maximum utility, we would get all the different measurements, but this has privacy implications."

Apps using Google and Apple's tech do not get to see the actual signal strength but rather one of three values, based on calculations used to normalise the different ways Bluetooth behaves on different handsets,

By contrast, the UK team can currently obtain the measurements directly.

Those responsible believe a further advantage of their centralised approach is that the data can be processed on the server involved, since it would be too taxing a task to be done on smartphones.

But part of their challenge is communicating this to Baroness Dido Harding - who heads up the wider Test and Trace programme - and 10 Downing Street itself.

A spokesman for the prime minister declined to comment.

Coronavirus: Could social distancing of less than two metres work?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to keep the 2m (6ft) rule for social distancing "under constant review".

It comes after increasing pressure from MPs and the hospitality industry to cut it to 1m to help businesses after they reopen.

However, scientists continue to question whether that would be safe, given how little is known about how far coronavirus can spread.

What does the science say?

The simple answer is that the nearer you are to someone who is infected, the greater the risk of catching the virus.

The World Health Organization says that a distance of 1m is safe. Some countries have adopted this guidance, while others, including the UK, have gone further:

• 1m distancing rule - China, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Singapore
• 1.4m - South Korea
• 1.5m - Australia, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal
• 1.8m - US
• 2m - Canada, Spain, UK

It's not just about distance

Timing is also key. The longer you spend in close proximity with an infected person, the bigger the risk.

Scientists advising the UK government say that spending six seconds at a distance of 1m from someone is the same as spending one minute at a distance of 2m.

Being exposed to someone coughing is riskier. Being 2m away from a cough carries the same risk as someone talking to you for 30 minutes at the same distance.

What's the latest research?

In a study published in the medical journal The Lancet, scientists evaluated recent research into how coronavirus spreads.

They conclude that keeping at least 1m from other people could be the best way to limit the chances of infection.

The risk of being infected is estimated to be 13% within 1m, but only 3% beyond that distance.

And the study says that for every extra metre of distance up to 3m, the risk is further reduced by half.

Where does the distancing rule come from?

It can be traced back to research in the 1930s.

Scientists found that droplets of liquid released by coughs or sneezes evaporate quickly in the air or fall to the ground.

Most of those droplets, they reckoned, would land within 1-2m.

That is why it is said the greatest risks come from having the virus coughed at you from close range, or from touching a surface that someone coughed onto, and then touching your face.

Can the virus travel further in other ways?

Proximity and surface contact are considered the main transmission routes.

But some researchers fear coronavirus can also be transported through the air in tiny particles called aerosols.

If true, then the flow of wind from someone's breath could carry the virus over longer distances.

Prof Lydia Bourouiba from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used high-speed cameras to capture a cough projecting miniature specks as far as 6m.

And a study carried out in Chinese hospitals which found traces of coronavirus in Covid-19 wards and intensive care units, estimated that 4m was a better safe distance.

But the US Centers for Disease Control says the role of aerosols in spreading the virus is "currently uncertain".

And what's still not known is whether any virus that spreads further than 2m can still be infectious.

• Coronavirus: Can we stay safe as lockdown eases?

What else makes a difference?

It is widely accepted that the infection is more easily passed on indoors than outside in the fresh air.

Japanese researchers investigated 110 cases of Covid-19, following up the contacts of those infected.

They estimated that the odds of the infection being passed on were nearly 19 times greater indoors than outside.

In many countries, including England and Scotland, people are being encouraged to wear face coverings on public transport and "enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible".

Why don't we have definite answers?

It is only a few months since the coronavirus emerged, and in that short time scientists have learned a great deal about it.

But there is a long way to go, and confirming exactly the right distance is one of the unanswered questions.

Answering it will require careful studies of how the virus can be carried, and how viable it remains, which will all take time.

China coronavirus outbreak: All the latest updates

The death toll in China from the deadly coronavirus outbreak that originated in the central city of Wuhan, rose to at least 361 on Monday, as the Philippines became the first country outside China to confirm a death from the infection.



The National Health Commission said there were 57 new fatalities on Sunday, all but one of them in Hubei, which has been effectively sealed off from the rest of the country for more than a week.


The total number of people infected with the virus rose to 17,205 across the country, after 2,829 new cases were reported.

Other countries have rushed to evacuate their citizens from Hubei province and its capital city, Wuhan, while many have also imposed extraordinary travel restrictions on travellers to and from China.

About 150 cases have been reported in two dozen other countries.

Here are the latest updates:

Monday, February 3
WHO combats virus misinformation
The World Health Organization said it was working around the clock with internet and social media giants to combat widespread misinformation surrounding the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak.

"We have worked with Google to make sure people searching for information about coronavirus see WHO information at the top of their search results," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in his opening remarks to the UN health agency's executive board meeting in Geneva.

"Social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Tencent and Tiktok have also taken steps to limit the spread of misinformation," he added.