Gosport MP, Caroline Dinenage, is encouraging constituents across Gosport, Hill Head, Stubbington and Lee-On-The-Solent to download the new NHS COVID-19 app which has launched today.
The app will form a central part of NHS Test and Trace by contract tracing through low-energy Bluetooth, alerting users to transmission levels in their area, helping people check into venues and providing a symptom checker.
It is available for those over the age of 16, and will track your distance and time spent with other app users to alert you if someone you have been in close contact with tests positive for COVID-19.
The app users personal information and data will remain secure, as none of it is provided to the government or NHS. It does not hold personal information, and only requires the first half of your postcode to show local transmission rates. Frequent, random unique IDs are also regenerated for extra security.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:
“We are at a tipping point in our efforts to control the spread of this virus. With infection rates rising we must use every tool at our disposal to prevent transmission, including the latest technology.
“We have worked extensively with tech companies, international partners, and privacy and medical experts – and learned from the trials – to develop an app that is secure, simple to use and will help keep our country safe.
“Today’s launch marks an important step forward in our fight against this invisible killer and I urge everyone who can to download and use the app to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
Caroline commented:
“I urge all constituents to download the COVID-19 app, to bolster the efforts of Test and Trace and help protect our community from transmissions.
“We are seeing an upward trend in positive COVID-19 tests in Hampshire, with 107 new cases last week taking our total cases to 5,722 recorded on Monday.
“Self-isolation when you have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 is absolutely key to reducing our transmissions and shielding vulnerable residents.”