FE Today Logo
Search date: 28-09-2020 Return to current date: Click here

UK's COVID app does not accept third test

September 28, 2020 00:00:00


Picture showing the coronavirus disease contact tracing smartphone app of Britain's National Health Service on an iPhone — Reuters

LONDON, Sept 27 (Reuters): England's COVID-19 smartphone app launched to curb the spread of the virus does not accept test results processed in the country's state-run laboratories, hospitals or as part of an official survey, it said on Saturday.

The App's official account said on Twitter it could not link to test results taken in Public Health England (PHE) laboratories, at the National Health Service (NHS) or as part of a survey run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

On Friday, 210,375 tests were taken, with 61,481 handled by PHE and the NHS, or 29%. That does not include tests taken as part of the ONS surveys because they are counted on a UK basis.

Tests taken in hospitals includes patients and health care staff.

The Department of Health said it was urgently working to fix the problem and said anyone testing positive would still be contacted by the Test and Trace team.

The NHS COVID-19 app was launched this week, four months later than expected. It uses Bluetooth signals to log when a user is in close contact with another user.


Share if you like