There is little doubt that the outbreak of coronavirus has changed all our lives. To slow the spread of the disease, numerous countries have been working on COVID-19 safety apps, and the UK is no exception. Tom Riordan, the former leader of the tracing element of UK’s app programme, suggested to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the NHS Test And Trace app might be closer to finalisation than we think.
“It’s probably needed most in places like London, where people use public transport more than the rest of the country and we need the economy to kick start. I would expect that to start to be rolled out in the next few weeks,” he said. “I think it will happen and it’s needed. It’s not the silver bullet [but] it’s something that could really help.”
“Riordan’s comment is a piece of good news after the first version of the app had to be pulled back last month because it was incompatible with Google and Apple privacy restrictions set up in the US. And while many other countries with a vast increase in COVID cases, such as Brazil in Latin America, have not prioritized tracking apps, it is very likely that populous cities in the UK, including London, will benefit once the app is up and running,” said Zackary Steward, technology expert from monederosmart.com.
Up to now, NHS Test and Trace has been based on manual contact tracing where people who test positive for the virus have to disclose their recent close contacts, or anybody they have been within 2 meters of for at least 15 minutes. While this strategy is problematic when it comes to public settings where people may not know each other, according to Riordan, the system is “working pretty well.”
“The national Test and Trace is a very strong local system that is dealing with outbreaks really effectively every day,” he said, adding that the local public health chiefs can now access the names and addresses of affected individuals.
The proposed app would use bluetooth to take note of all people who have been in contact with a person who has tested positive for corona. It would also alert them that they need to either self-isolate for two weeks or take a test.
The previous NHS Test and Trace app, which was piloted on the Isle of Wight, was discontinued in early June after a number of issues related to both the app and Google/Apple technology. Nevertheless, the Department of Health and Social Care has defended the pilot programme, saying that it “provided valuable information that we will now use to build an app that is right for the British public”.
