A thuismitheoiri,
Please see below information from the PHA regarding the new Covid 19 tracker app.
StopCOVID NI
StopCOVID NI
USE THE APP. SAVE LIVES.
Download the ‘StopCOVID NI’ app to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
•This free app from our health service will support contact tracing, help prevent another lockdown and save lives.
•It tells you automatically if you’ve been near another app-user who tests positive.It can also let them know if you test positive.
•It never knows or shares your identity or location.
What is an app?
An app or application allows a mobile phone to do certain tasks. Apps on your phone might include Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp.
If you use the app, you can:
•get an alert if you have been in closecontact with an app-user who testspositive for coronavirus
•get advice on what to do if you’ve beenexposed to the virus
•get handy links for advice on symptomsand booking free tests
•add your test results if you test positive•let the app alert others if you testpositive
•invite others to take part
What does the StopCOVID NI App do?
•It supports contact tracing and helps protect as many people as possible.
•The app uses Bluetooth technology to check if you’ve been in close contact withanother app-user.
•It tells you if you have been near someone who has tested positive, even if you don’tknow them.
•If you receive an alert, it will tell you to self-isolate for 14 days and show you where toget advice on symptoms and booking a test.
•If you test positive, it updates app-users who have been in close contact with you.
•It only knows if you have been near another app-user, not your identity or location.
How does the app protect my privacy?
•The app does not collect your name, location or movements.
•Your records are collected anonymously and stored on your mobile phone.
•The app uses Bluetooth technology to exchange secure, anonymous records between app-users who come into close contact.
•It never identifies you to other app-users and you can’t access anyone else’s information.
•If you test positive, you can choose to upload your records to anonymously alert your close contacts.
How do I download the app?Download the app from your phone’s app store. This will be the Apple App Store for iPhones and the Google Play Store for most other phones. Search ‘StopCOVID NI’. You should see the app with its black and white HSC logo. Click ‘Install’ or ‘Get’. The app will then be installed on your phone. Open the app and follow the guidance to set it up. You will be asked to confirm you want to use the app, agree to the Ts & Cs, and allow the app to use your Bluetooth feature to send you notifications.
Can I use my app outside NI?The app will work in any country where we have already set-up the interface to work together and uses the same technology as we are; so far this is the Republic of Ireland. It will operate in the same secure and anonymous way it does at home.As more countries launch apps like this, we can help stop the virus spreading when we travel. This also means that people using apps made for those countries can use them when travelling here.
Can I turn the app off?It’s important the app is active as much as possible to help stop the spread of coronavirus.But if you need to disable it for any reason, you can do this by turning off your phone’s Bluetooth feature.If you work somewhere that uses social distancing and added safety measures (Perspex screens and PPE), you can disable the app while working. The app doesn’t know you have extra protection from close contact in this scenario, so disabling it will avoid ‘false’ contact notifications.
Can I delete the app from my phone?You can uninstall the app at any time. This will delete the data that the app has stored on your phone. The data that you have shared with other phones will also be deleted.
Stopping the spread of COVID-19
The app is one way of helping to stop the spread of COVID-19. There are other stepswe should all be taking too. Everyone should continue to:
•wash hands regularly
•cover coughs and sneezes
•practice social distancing
•follow the latest public health advice
This app will support our health service, help prevent another lockdown and save lives. Most people spreading the virus don’t know they have it. So, the more people using the app, the more lives we save.
Let’s all keep doing our bit to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Learn more at nidirect.gov.uk/coronavirus
And download ‘StopCOVID NI’ from your App store now.
STAY SAFE
SAVE LIVES
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