More than half, 52 per cent, of young Britons have downloaded the NHS’s COVID-19 app and then either deleted it, switched it off, or avoided checking in. The polling figures come as the UK is set to face a “pingdemic” of people told to isolate at home because they were in proximity to someone infected with the Chinese coronavirus.
The National Health Service’s Covid-19 contact tracing app uses Bluetooth technology to log whether you have come in contact with someone else with the same app who has been diagnosed with coronavirus and sends alerts that can include recommendations to self-isolate. The app can also be used to check into venues, which was a mandatory requirement for service in restaurants and pubs before July 19th’s ‘Freedom Day’.
According to a poll published on Tuesday by YouGov, 40 per cent of Britons never downloaded it in the first place. Of those that did, only 22 per cent say they are using it correctly, with 24 per cent saying they have either switched off the contact tracing and/or avoided checking in at venues, while 10 per cent deleted the app completely.
The highest proportion of those who have deleted it, 17 per cent, are those aged 18 to 24. That same age bracket also had the highest proportion who said they still have the app but are intentionally misusing it in some way, including turning off the contact tracing (15 per cent), have avoided checking in at venues where it was required (10 per cent), or have done both (10 per cent). They also have the lowest proportion admitting that they are using the app correctly (nine per cent).- READ MORE
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