NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app launches

The app is designed to be the fastest way to see if people are at risk from coronavirus. 

If someone falls ill, they can tell the app, which will then forward their keys to a central server and in turn send them off to all app users in search of a match.

Should the system determine a person as a close contact, they will be automatically sent a notification and issued with guidance.

The app has a number of tools including contact tracing, local area alerts and venue check-in. It uses technology from Apple and Google, designed to protect every user’s privacy. 

Users are alerted if they have been near other app users who have tested positive for coronavirus and provides information on the level of risk in users' postcode district. Alerts are sent if users have visited a venue where they may have come into contact with coronavirus and there is an option to check for symptoms and see if a free test is required. The app then enables a test to be booked and if isolation is required, the app provides a "self-isolation countdown" and relevant advice.

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