'NHS COVID-19' Contact Tracing App With Exposure Notification API Launches in England and Wales

[MacRumors]

NHS COVID-19, a contact tracing app created by the UK government, is rolling out to residents of England and Wales as of today, with the app available from the iOS App Store.

The app's debut comes a week and a half after the UK government said that it would launch on September 24, and a month and a half after the app became available to NHS Volunteer Responders, Isle of Wight residents, and Newham residents, all of whom have been testing the app.

Like other apps that take advantage of the Exposure Notification API from Apple and Google, NHS COVID-19 is designed to track who people come into contact with each other using Bluetooth, providing a notification if one of those people later comes down with the coronavirus.

Along with using a Bluetooth-based solution, NHS COVID-19 will let users scan QR codes to register visits to locations like stores and restaurants to aid in contact tracing, with UK businesses being encouraged to display QR posters for visitors to scan.

NHS COVID-19 will be available on iPhones running iOS 13.5 or later as well as compatible Android smartphones, which are able to interface with each other. Downloading the app will provide instructions on making sure notifications are enabled and the feature is functional.

The NHS did not initially plan to use Apple and Google's ‌Exposure Notification‌ API and was instead pursuing a different solution, but after the announcement of the API the NHS changed course and decided to work on an app using the Apple/Google API after all.

Exposure Notification apps have already launched in Scotland and Ireland, as well as in Canada, Denmark, Germany, Poland, and other countries. In the United States, Virginia, North Dakota, Arizona, Delaware, Nevada, Alabama, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania have launched apps that use Apple's Exposure Notification API.

More information on Apple and Google's Exposure Notification API, such as how it works and where it's available, can be found in our guide.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: 'NHS COVID-19' Contact Tracing App With Exposure Notification API Launches in England and Wales

 

[retrospek]

How do you download the app ? I can see one for NI and Scotland but not England - but this post seems to be saying it is now available..

 

[jonnyb]

Kent will have its own app, available January 1st 2021.

 

[gaximus]

COVID-19 will be over by the time we get one here in the States

 

[Kylo83]

In the uk I’m not seeing it

 

[Psychicbob]

It’s called HAL 9000 on the App Store

 

[retrospek]

I think I've found it in the App Store.. It is in the exposure settings that I couldn't find it

 

[triton100]

Ah the baphoon squad has entered the building. The people behind this app must be the most bumbling inept egocentric dimwits ever assembled. How embarrassing for the U.K. as the days go by we seem to lose more and more of any prestige we may have had as a country of excellence in science, innovation and finance.

 

[retrospek]

App seems pretty good - like the fact you can scan into pubs now and don't have to write down your details.

 

[Kal El]

‎NHS COVID-19

‎Please continue to follow the latest guidance to protect yourself and others. For guidance: • in England go to www.nhs.uk/coronavirus • in Wales go to www.gov.wales/covid19advice To report NHS lateral flow test results, go to www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result For your vaccination status (in Engla…

apps.apple.com

 

[Plutonius]

Can the people in the UK opt out ?

 

[kirky29]

about time! App looks nice too

 

[retrospek]

Can the people in the UK opt out ?

You have to 'opt in' so Yes.

 

[KrisLord]

It’s about time! We were promised this in June and the other countries of the UK have had one for months,...

 

[RobQuads]

The government have been a bit sly due to saying to company’s that to stay legal they should use the app / QR codes to get people’s addresses which most are doing so it’s going to be forcing anyone who wants to eat out etc to get the app

 

[iLoveDeveloping]

That’s funny I can download in Ireland and it works! Strange..

 

[Plutonius]

The government have been a bit sly due to saying to company’s that to stay legal they should use the app / QR codes to get people’s addresses which most are doing so it’s going to be forcing anyone who wants to eat out etc to get the app

so people not carrying their phone, can't eat out or enter a business ?

 

[mattster16]

Meanwhile in the US we haven't come to a consensus on whether Covid is real or not!

 

[LiE_]

Installed and setup. My wife has printed out a QR code to display at her business tomorrow too.

 

[rctneil]

It's definitely waaaay late but I am very very glad it's here now and actually using the Apple / Google API as it should be. I've been testing it for the past few weeks and it's nicely built and works fine. Persuade everyone you can to download and set it up and then as long as their phones are on and Bluetooth is enabled then it may make a difference.

It's not perfect, but none of our weapons against COVID-19 are perfect. IT's another tool in our belt against it so I'm all for it.

Go download it!!!!

 

[Plutonius]

Meanwhile in the US we haven't come to a consensus on whether Covid is real or not!

I think that everyone agrees in the US that Covid-19 is real.

The disagreement is in our response to it.

 

[JUiCEJamie]

I’ve signed up. It’s a nice app. Works well.

Question - at what point, say I do come in to contact with someone tested positive - do they know what my details are?

I didn’t input anything. So how will I be contacted by the Test and Trace team?

Perhaps once I get notified, the app will then prompt me to input my details? Does anybody have any clarification?

 

[rctneil]

I’ve signed up. It’s a nice app. Works well.

Question - at what point, say I do come in to contact with someone tested positive - do they know what my details are?

I didn’t input anything. So how will I be contacted by the Test and Trace team?

Perhaps once I get notified, the app will then prompt me to input my details? Does anybody have any clarification?

As far as I am aware, with your test result you will be sent a code which you enter into the app. The app then uses all the random ids it has exchanged to privately and anonymously notify other users.

 

[Plutonius]

It's definitely waaaay late but I am very very glad it's here now and actually using the Apple / Google API as it should be. I've been testing it for the past few weeks and it's nicely built and works fine. Persuade everyone you can to download and set it up and then as long as their phones are on and Bluetooth is enabled then it may make a difference.

It's not perfect, but none of our weapons against COVID-19 are perfect. IT's another tool in our belt against it so I'm all for it.

Go download it!!!!

I look at it as a good tool in preparation for our next pandemic.

 

[Kal El]

I’ve signed up. It’s a nice app. Works well.

Question - at what point, say I do come in to contact with someone tested positive - do they know what my details are?

I didn’t input anything. So how will I be contacted by the Test and Trace team?

Perhaps once I get notified, the app will then prompt me to input my details? Does anybody have any clarification?

Your phone is sending a unique code. If someone tests positive and they mark themselves so on their app then it then sends all the codes it’s been in contact with and these codes are then notified so you get a notification to say you may have been exposed and should isolate