Ahead of the reopening of pubs and restaurants in the UK on Monday April 12, changes are coming to the NHS Covid-19 Test and Trace app.
The updated app will now ask all members of a group attending a hospitality venue (as well as gyms, hairdressers and the like) to check-in using the app, to ensure the best possible chance for effective contact tracing.
Previously, during last summer’s brief reopening, only the lead member of each group had been required to check in by scanning the QR code at the point of entry (or by signing-in physically).
The changes will arrive before April 12, with the idea being to speed up contact tracing. Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 will be asked to provide a history of all the places they have been to in the recent past.
That’ll then be passed on, anonymously, to those who’ve checked into those venues and will encourage those folks to self-isolate or get tested themselves.
The rationale is having everyone check in will speed up the dissemination of information. Previously, with only the group leader signing in, it was up to them to tell the rest of the group someone who’d attended the business had tested positive. Now the notification will go to everyone.
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Other changes coming with the update, which is expected to drop before April 12, include the optional venue history sharing, which the government says will enable alerts to be generated more quickly and help it stay on top of outbreaks.
There’s also some new NHS QR code posters, which venues now legally must display. They’re now easier to use, according to the government.
Do you feel comfortable checking in everywhere you go once venues reopen on Monday? Are you concerned about whether these impingements on civil liberties will be relaxed? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
