It’s here! The @NHSCOVID19App for England and Wales is going live today. It will help each of us to keep our loved ones safe.

It also keeps our personal information private.

To get it:
• iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/nhs-covid-19/id1520427663
• Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.nhs.covid19.production

Here’s how it works:

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Exposure notification: Using Apple & Google’s Exposure Notification APIs, your phone pays attention to when you’re within 2 meters of someone for more than 15 minutes.

How it protects your privacy: https://covid19.apple.com/contacttracing 
or
https://www.google.com/covid19/exposurenotifications/

@NHSCOVID19app
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Local risk scores: Using the postcode district (the first half of the postcode) that you give the app — the only info it has about you — it shows you the COVID-19 risk score for your area. This lets you plan to keep yourself safe.

@NHSCOVID19app
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Venue check-in: Instead of writing your name+contact info in a book at the pub/restaurant/etc, you can “check in” with the @NHSCOVID19app by scanning the venue’s NHS QR code.

This records your check-in in your app. (It’s not shared with the venue & doesn’t leave your phone.)

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Venue check-in part 2: If Public Health authorities find an outbreak in a pub/restaurant/other venue, the code for that venue will be sent to all phones.

Your phone will check it against the check-ins in your @NHSCOVID19app, and if you said you were there, you’ll get advice.

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Report symptoms: If you’re not feeling well, you can see if your symptoms match the @PHE_uk case definition for COVID-19. If it looks likely that you have it, you’ll be passed to the http://GOV.UK  website for ordering a test.

@NHSCovid19App
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#Privacy

The @NHSCOVID19app:
• doesn’t use location APIs or GPS
• doesn’t see phones you’ve been in contact with; your phone’s OS holds that.

Also:
• The key that identifies your phone changes every 10-20 minutes
• Your venue check-ins never leave your phone

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#OpenSource code for the @NHSCOVID19app:

• System & architecture https://github.com/nhsx/covid19-app-system-public
• Android https://github.com/nhsx/covid-19-app-android-ag-public
• iOS https://github.com/nhsx/covid-19-app-ios-ag-public

Vulnerability Disclosures: https://hackerone.com/nhscovid19app 

iOS & Android apps were built with WCAG 2.1 AA and #a11y in mind.

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Thanks to the product, engineering & policy teams; beta testers from Isle of Wight, Newham & NHS volunteers; Apple & Google; & colleagues in other countries. This has been the best kind of collaborative effort — giving us all info to keep our loved ones safe.

@NHSCOVID19app

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