Is the UK's contract tracing app finally nearly ready?

The UK's contact tracing app is nearly ready for further testing by the public. It'll alert you if you have been in close proximity to someone who is then diagnosed with Covid-19. 

The app is much delayed, had a trial on the Isle of Wight and reportedly cost an absolutely crazy £11 million before it was decided to pivot it to the Apple-Google method of tracking other phones.

The change was decided on after the original app couldn't work properly on the iPhone and so wasn't accurate enough because Apple wouldn't allow so-called centralised Covid-19 tracing apps access to Bluetooth in such a way that the Bluetooth connection would be maintained. Stats from the Isle of Wight trial show that the NHS app only recognised 4% of Apple phones and 75% of Android devices.

Somewhat belatedly, the app will also enable you to scan QR codes when you visit venues for track and trace just as they are in other countries - here's what they're doing in Australia. If you've been out to a pub or restaurant yet in the UK you'll be familiar with needing to sign a bit of paper, but it's hardly a sustainable method. 

The Times says the app's users could also be given a count of how many times a day they have been within two metres of any other person with the app installed for more than 15 minutes in the hope of changing behaviour. 

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