Scotland followed the example of Northern Ireland and launched its own contact tracing app for COVID-19 called Protect Scotland.
Scotland has become the latest part of the United Kingdom to release a national contact tracing app for COVID-19 called Protect Scotland, a little over a month after the launch of Northern Ireland's StopCOVID NI, while the NHS in England is still testing its own app.
Protect Scotland is using Bluetooth signals to identify smartphone users who may be at risk of COVID-19 because they came into close contact with other users who later tested positive for the virus.
Nicola Sturgeon encouraged residents to download the app, which is now available across the country for phones that support iOS 13.5 or later, or Android 6.0 and later.
“There is a new way to help fight COVID-19 in Scotland,” Sturgeon said. “‘Protect Scotland’ – Our confidential contact tracing app will alert you to users who have tested positive for the virus if you have been in contact with them.”
The technology runs in the background of the phone and records Bluetooth “fingerprints” when two users come into contact.
If a user tests positive for the virus, they will be given a code to log into the app. The Protect Scotland app will then ask for permission to identify and notify contacts deemed at risk – those whose “encounters” reflect an interaction that lasted more than 15 minutes and occurred within two metres.
The app will advise these contacts on what they should do next, such as isolating at home for several days or visiting a hospital if they develop symptoms.
NearForm, a technology company based in Ireland, helped develop the software used for Protect Scotland. The software forms the backbone of contact tracing apps that have been created in many countries around the world, including Ireland and Northern Ireland.
