Council and healthcare workers first to try NHS app that tracks coronavirus

Council and healthcare workers will be the first to try an NHS app that tracks the coronavirus outbreak.

They will use the contact-tracing app on Tuesday. If the trial is successful, the app will be rolled out across the whole of the UK by the middle of May, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.

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It is part of the government's strategy for coming out of lockdown, which aims to have widespread testing and contact tracing in place to monitor and reduce any future outbreaks.

The new app will be published on Apple and Google's app stores. It works by using a Bluetooth connection.

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It records when two people who have the app are within a certain distance of each other for longer than a specified amount of time.

If one of those people later reports having symptoms, all the other app users they came into contact with over the last seven days will be alerted and told to self-isolate.

However, concerns have been raised over privacy, though ministers say the app has been designed with this "front of mind".

The app aims to quickly trace recent contacts of anyone who tests positive for the virus.