Long-awaited NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app will launch in England and Wales in two WEEKS on September 24, Department of Health confirms
The beleaguered NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app will finally launch in England and Wales on September 24, the Department of Health has confirmed.
Officials have repeatedly delayed the rollout of the smartphone software since it was first expected in May but trials on the Isle of Wight failed.
The app will add to the NHS Test & Trace service which aims to track down people who have been close to those infected with the coronavirus.
It will use Bluetooth to keep an anonymous log of everyone somebody has been close to, and alert them if one of them tests positive for Covid-19.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said today: ‘We need to use every tool at our disposal to control the spread of the virus including cutting-edge technology.
‘The launch of the app later this month across England and Wales is a defining moment and will aid our ability to contain the virus at a critical time.’
The announcement comes after Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, yesterday launched ‘Protect Scotland’ app north of the border.
Officials abandoned the NHS’s attempt at making its own app in June when they realised it didn’t work on iPhones (Pictured: The app in development stages)