Changes to the NHS Covid app will see fewer people contacted to be told to self-isolate under new guidance for close contacts.
The app will now only alert people who have been in close contact with someone testing positive, but remaining asymptomatic, within two days.
This replaces the previous five-day threshold but will result in the same number of ‘high-risk’ contacts being asked to self-isolate, according to the Department of Health.
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The ‘pingdemic’, which has seen over half a million people asked to self-isolate in recent weeks, has caused complaints about the way the app is working.
Issues have been raised over how effective the app is at knowing how close someone has been to a person who tests positive for Covid, and how far back from their positive test a contact has seen them.
Speaking about the changes to the NHS app, Health secretary Sajid David said: “We want to reduce the disruption that self-isolation can cause for people and businesses, while ensuring we’re protecting those most at risk from this virus.
“This update to the app will help ensure that we are striking the right balance.”
The threshold for the app has not been changed in this update, nor has the sensitivity. These have both come under fire recently but will remain the same until August 16, when self-isolation rules will change again across England. The current change will also only affect close contacts of those who have tested positive but remain asymptomatic.
From August 16, people who have received both vaccinations will not need to self-isolate even if they have been in close contact with someone testing positive for Coronavirus.
More than 680,000 people were asked to self-isolate by the app last week, causing issues within the hospitality and food industries. A number of shops reported empty shelves due to the ‘pingdemic’.
The update to the app is an attempt to ensure that people continue to use it over the coming months, after numerous reports of people deleting the app or turning contact tracing off in an attempt to avoid being ‘pinged’.
Reports suggests that 11% of people who have had the NHS app have since deleted it to avoid having to self-isolate
Scientists say that the app has helped prevent up to 2,000 cases a day by ensuring people self-isolate after coming in contact with someone infectious with Covid.
Mr David said: “It's so important that people isolate when asked to do so in order to stop the spread of the virus and protect their communities."
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