Coronavirus: NHS contact tracing app available in England and Wales
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Users will be told to self-isolate if the app determines they are at high risk of being infected
The NHS coronavirus contact tracing app is now available for people aged 16 and over to download in England and Wales.
It comes after months of delays, the first version of the app was trialled on the Isle of Wight in May but later abandoned.
Scotland's new contact tracing app Protect Scotland, was released on 10 September with more than 600,000 people downloading it on the first day.
In July Northern Ireland became the first part of of the UK to launch a mobile app to test and trace coronavirus.
Its app called StopCOVID NI works by identifying people who have been experiencing the symptoms of the virus, and meant Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were able to monitor people more closely.
How does the app for England and Wales work?
Contact Tracing App: What is it?
The app uses an Apple and Google-developed system, using Bluetooth to keep a private log of people a user has been close to.
If someone falls ill, they can tell the app, which will then send off an alert to all the other app users who may have been in contact with the infected person.
If the system determines that a person has been in close contact, they will be automatically sent a notification saying they need to self-isolate for 14 days.
Cinemas, community centres and places of worship are also being asked to display authorised QR barcode posters
How will this affect the places you go to?
The app will also let people scan barcode-like QR codes at places they visit such as cinemas and restaurants.
Some hospitality venues have already been using their own QR code-based systems for test and trace but are now being asked to switch to the NHS version instead.
Universities, hospitals, leisure premises, civic centres and libraries are being asked to display posters in communal areas such as cafes, where people gather for longer than 15 minutes.
An alternative system, such as a handwritten register, must also be maintained for visitors who do not have smartphones, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
The app can be downloaded free onto a mobile phone
We need to use every tool at our disposal to control the spread of the virus including cutting-edge technology.
The app is for people aged 16+
Anyone aged 16 and over is being asked to install the app onto their smartphone.
The government had originally tried to make its own app software before deciding in June that it needed to work with companies that develop technology with smartphone manufacturers.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the app will help keep people safe:
"With infection rates rising we must use every tool at our disposal to prevent transmission, including the latest technology.
"We have worked extensively with tech companies, international partners, and privacy and medical experts - and learned from the trials - to develop an app that is secure, simple to use and will help keep our country safe.
"Today's launch marks an important step forward in our fight against this invisible killer and I urge everyone who can to download and use the app to protect themselves and their loved ones."
User will have to verify they are over 16 before they can start using the app
However, downloading the app is up to individuals, and its success will depend heavily on how many people actually choose to download and use it.
A TV advertising campaign with the slogan "Protect your loved ones. Get the app" is being used to encourage people to install the software.
Welsh Health and Social Services Minister Vaughan Gething said launching a joint app with England was "the most practical option".
He added that the move reflects "movement across our shared border".
"It makes sense to use the same app, working in exactly the same way, regardless of which country you're in."
- Published25 August 2020
- Published31 July 2020
