COVID-19 App Update Means Fewer People Will Be 'Pinged'

Monday, 2 August 2021 16:23

By Sky News

Fewer contacts of people with COVID-19 will be told to isolate by the NHS Test and Trace app after an update today.

The "logic" which underpins how close contacts are identified and notified will be changed following a review into the NHS COVID-19 app by the health secretary, the Department for Health and Social Care says.

It will now only look back at contacts two days before someone tests positive, as opposed to the five days of contacts the app was tracking before.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, which represents the hospitality industry, said it was a "positive step forward".

"But it must be brought in with immediate effect and doesn't obviate the need for a test to release scheme to be in place to allow people safely to return to work," she added.

The government said the change will mean fewer people who were in contact with a person when they were unlikely to be at the peak of their infectiousness will be told to self-isolate.

It added that the sensitivity of the app will not be impacted, nor will the risk threshold.

The same number of high-risk contacts will be advised to self-isolate, a government spokesman said.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: "We want to reduce the disruption that self-isolation can cause for people and businesses, while ensuring we're protecting those most at risk from this virus.

"This update to the app will help ensure that we are striking the right balance.

"It's so important that people isolate when asked to do so in order to stop the spread of the virus and protect their communities."

Mr Javid ordered a review of the app as increasing numbers of people without symptoms and who never tested positive were forced to self-isolate.

Branded "the pingdemic", business leaders criticised the app as it was forcing thousands of people off work and crippling businesses.

(C) Sky News.