People in Warwickshire are being urged to protect their loved ones and download the new official NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app for England and Wales. It's the fastest way&n...
People in Warwickshire are being urged to protect their loved ones and download the new official NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app for England and Wales.
It's the fastest way to know when you are at risk from coronavirus (Covid-19). The quicker you know, the quicker you can alert your loved ones, and your community.
The free app is available to download from the App Store or Google Play.
Once downloaded, you can ‘check in’ to any venue or business with areas open to the public, such as pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, cinemas, places of worship, or community facilities such as libraries, by scanning a QR code displayed on a poster at the venue.
The app has a number of features:
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Trace: find out when you've been near other app users who have tested positive for coronavirus.
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Alert: lets you know the level of coronavirus risk in your postcode district.
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Check-in: get alerted if you've visited a venue where you may have come into contact with coronavirus, using a simple QR code scanner. No more form filling.
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Symptoms: check if you have coronavirus symptoms and see if you need to order a test.
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Test: helps you order a test if you need to.
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Isolate: keep track of your self-isolation countdown and access relevant advice.
Cllr Les Caborn, Portfolio holder for Adult Social Care and Health said:
“The more people download and use the NHS Covid-19 app, the more it will help us to prevent the spread of the virus. I strongly encourage everyone over 16 with a smartphone to download the app to help us get ahead of the virus, prevent further deaths, local lockdowns and disruption to the education of our children and the local economy. The app will also help us understand if the virus is spreading in a particular area, allowing a speedier response to stop it spreading further.
He added:
“Most importantly, the app maintains anonymity for users - it helps track the virus, not individuals.”
The app has been designed to use as little personal data and information as possible. All the data that could directly identify someone is held on their phone, is not stored centrally and is not shared anywhere else. Any data that is provided from the phone will always be anonymised or aggregated, to prevent identification.
For more information on the app, please visit https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/nhs-covid-19/
The Government has announced that certain venues will now be legally required to display NHS QR posters in their venues. This includes all venues from the following sectors: hospitality; leisure and tourism; close contact services; places of worship; commmunity and local authority venues.
For a guide on creating the QR poster for your businesses or community venue, please visit: https://www.covid19.nhs.uk/information-and-resources.html
People are being reminded that guidelines for limiting the spread of the virus remain. It is critical that everybody observes the following key behaviours:
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HANDS - Wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds.
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FACE - Wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet.
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SPACE - Stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place.
Symptoms of Covid-19 include a higher temperature, a new, continuous cough and loss or change to a person’s sense of taste and smell.
The latest information and guidance around coronavirus is available at GOV.UK and on the County Council’s own coronavirus pages: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/information-coronavirus
There’s lots of advice on how people can protect themselves and their families from coronavirus from the NHS at Coronavirus (COVID-19).