The NHS
Covid app has sent a record number of contact-tracing alerts, informing people
of their exposure to someone who has tested positive for the virus.
A total of
698,646 "pings" were sent to people in England and Wales between 16
December and 22 December.
That is
nearly 8,000 more than the previous record of 690,711 sent during a seven-day
period in July.
Data for the
Christmas period is not yet available.
People
"pinged" by the app with a "close contact" alert are
advised to take daily Covid tests - or self-isolate if they are unvaccinated
and over 18 - in order to reduce the likelihood of Covid transmission, but
there is no legal requirement for them to do so.
During the
summer, the app caused concern when large numbers of workers in various
industries received pings, leaving them temporarily unable to do their jobs
while they isolated many business listings.
A poll
conducted at the time suggested a third of 18-34-year-olds had deleted the app,
with another third planning to do so.
On Twitter,
some users have recently complained of receiving an alert more than a week
after exposure to someone with Covid, reducing the usefulness of the service.
The UK
Health Security Agency has not responded to a BBC request for comment on this
point.
But a
spokesperson said: "The NHS Covid-19 app has prevented thousands of cases
and is a vital tool to help protect against the spread of Covid-19 by alerting
people when they may have been in contact with a confirmed case."
"The
app is an essential part of the pandemic response... we encourage everyone to
continue using it as another tool to help keep us all safe."
Spike in
cases
The NHS app
also allows people to report the results of a Covid test business listings.
Reports of
positive test results also reached a new high - 243,406 across England and
Wales during the same seven-day period ending on 22 December.
Not everyone
who receives a positive result uses the app or will necessarily upload their
result.
Official data
shows that record numbers of positive cases have been recorded across the UK
during recent days, with 189,213 added on 30 December alone free business listings.
Separate
contact-tracing apps are used in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Scotland
data also suggests a record number of contact notifications were sent via the
Protect Scotland app during the period.
The BBC has
also contacted the Department of Health in Northern Ireland for comment.
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