The NHS Covid-19 app will be launched across England and Wales on September 24, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
Ahead of the roll-out businesses including pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, and cinemas are being urged to ensure they have NHS QR code posters visible on entry so customers who have downloaded the new app can use their smartphones to check-in.
The department said ongoing trials in the London Borough of Newham, on the Isle of Wight and with NHS Volunteer Responders show the app is “highly effective when used alongside traditional contact tracing to identify contacts of those who have tested positive for coronavirus”.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the launch as "a defining moment".
"We need to use every tool at our disposal to control the spread of the virus including cutting-edge technology," the BBC reports.
"The launch of the app later this month across England and Wales is a defining moment and will aid our ability to contain the virus at a critical time."
