What happens during a venue check-in on the NHS COVID-19 app?

Venue check-ins add a count of the venue check-ins during the 6-hour analytical period. Where the check-in fails or is abandoned this is counted as well. This data is used to ensure the QR venue check in is working as expected as well as give a sense of how app users are using the function and the potential impacts.

Does the NHS COVID-19 app track my location?

It does not record or track where you or other app users are (for example, at home or in a public space). The app does not identify you or your location to other app users (or, as noted above, the government).

Does NHS COVID-19 app show previous venues you have visited?

Details of which venues you have visited again are only on your app. The app will hold details of a relevant test result but only for as long as necessary, 14 days after any self-isolation period this data is no longer recorded.

How does the NHS COVID-19 app contact tracing work?

When you download the app to your phone, a code will be generated which will identify the app’s existence on your device.

This code changes every day (a ‘daily code’), so that it cannot be associated with you or your phone.

Your app produces another randomly generated code every 15 minutes (known as ‘the broadcast code’). The broadcast code is collected by the app installed on other users’ phones when you come into close contact with them and is held there for 14 days.

Do venues have to check COVID-19 status at events?

Updated to reflect the fact that it is no longer a legal requirement for venues or events to check the COVID-19 status of attendees as a condition of entry.

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What is a mass gathering?

An event counts as a “mass gatherings” if the number of people it brings together is so large that it has the potential to strain the planning and response resources of the health system in the community where it takes place.

How large does a meeting or event need to be in order to be a “mass gathering” during the COVID-19 pandemic?

High profile international sporting events such as the Olympics or World Cups as well as international religious events such as the Hajj count as mass gatherings.

Who provides contact-tracing information to the NHS for COVID-19?

The digital contact-tracing technology used in the NHS COVID-19 app is provided by Apple and Google. This technology is known as the 'Google Apple Exposure Notification system' (or ' GAEN '). GAEN , operating systems and data available from this system are constantly being refined.

How does Evushield for COVID-19 work?

Developed by AstraZeneca, Evusheld is a combination of two long-acting antibodies that works by binding to the spike protein on the outside of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19. This in turn prevents the virus from attaching to and entering human cells.

Does the NHS COVID-19 app store my IP address?

Your IP address (a unique identifier for your phone when you use the internet) is automatically shared with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) when you share data through the App. DHSC does not use your IP address however and deletes it as soon as it is received. Like every other app, our app uses the internet to work which requires the use of the IP address.

The application is reviewed and tested to make sure that there never exists functionality that collects, logs, retransmits or stores the IP addresses received within HTTP headers. This minimises the possibility of recombining IP address and payload data.

What is a venue check-in on the NHS app?

Can the data collected for COVID-19 contact tracing be used for other purposes?

Personal data that is collected for NHS Test and Trace, which you would not collect in your usual course of business, must be used only to share with NHS Test and Trace.

It must not be used for other purposes, including marketing, profiling, analysis or other purposes unrelated to contact tracing, or you will be in breach of GDPR.

Does the COVID-19 app collect personal data?

• The app holds personal data, however, we do not collect personal data. For example, your app will hold details of the venues you have visited but this is not shared with us

How often does the National Health Service (NHS) app update data?

The app is updated by the central systems (product environment), on average, every 2 hours. The central system provides all app users with three key sets of data. Every app user receives the same information, called reference material, which the app uses to determine if you need to receive an alert or advice. These are:

• the list of Diagnosis Keys from app users who have tested positive. This functionality keeps the identity of app users anonymous to other app users
• the list of all postcode districts and their current risk level
• the list of venues that could pose a risk, as determined by Health Protection Teams and the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC)

Does the NHS COVID-19 app gather analytical data?

Each 6-hour period, the app collects a summary count of key information. This is called the analytical data set and helps us monitor the use, performance and information about the app and its use. The data is prepared and will be sent to central systems where it used for assurance of the app, technical checks and the public health functions. It does not include the data held on your app about specific venues or your close contacts.

Will my data be deleted after uninstalling the NHS COVID-19 app?

If you choose to delete the app, you will not receive any notifications (alerts) from the app about coronavirus (COVID-19) and the data stored by the app on your phone will be deleted. If you decide to install the app again, you will need to provide the requested information again.

How is the COVID-19 test performed?

These tests (sometimes called ‘swab’ or ‘antigen’ tests) check to see if you are currently infected with the virus.

The swab sample is taken from your nose and throat.

Alternatively, a saliva sample might be used.

This sample is then tested to see if you have the virus.

Can you catch COVID-19 after 2 doses of vaccines?

Although 2 doses of vaccine will greatly reduce your own risk of becoming unwell with COVID-19, it is still possible to contract the virus and pass it to others.

Are temperature readings from the skin reliable for COVID19 diagnosis?

Temperature readings from temperature screening systems will measure skin temperature rather than core body temperature. In either case, natural fluctuations in temperature can occur among healthy individuals.

These readings are therefore an unreliable measure for detection of COVID-19 or other diseases which may cause fever. Furthermore, infected people who do not develop a fever or who do not show any symptoms would not be detected by a temperature reading and could be more likely to unknowingly spread the virus.

What is the UK regulatory agency for monitoring COVID-19?

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for protecting and improving the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.

What is manual contact tracing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Manual contact tracing involves asking an infected person to remember who they have been in contact with; the person can only identify the people they know.

How to access The World Health Organization (WHO) Health Alert service?

To access it, send the word "hi" to the following number on WhatsApp: +41 798 931 892. We will make this information available on our website later today.

What is considered a mass gathering for the context of COVID-19 pandemic?

High profile international sporting events such as the Olympics or World Cups as well as international religious events such as the Hajj count as mass gatherings. However, lower profile conferences and events can also meet WHO’s definition of a mass gathering. An event counts as a “mass gatherings” if the number of people it brings together is so large that it has the potential to strain the planning and response resources of the health system in the community where it takes place. You need to consider the location and duration of the event as well as the number of participants. For example, if the event takes place over several days in a small island state where the capacity of the health system is quite limited then even an event with just a few thousand participants could place a big strain on the health system and then be considered a “mass gathering” event.

What is an R value in an epidemic?

In an epidemic, one of the most important numbers is R - the reproduction number. If this is below one, then on average each infected person will infect fewer than one other person; the number of new infections will fall over time.

The lower the number, the faster the number of new infections will fall. When R is above one, the number of new infections is accelerating; the higher the number the faster the virus spreads through the population.

What is herd immunity in terms of COVID-19?

Herd immunity', also known as 'population immunity', is the indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection. WHO supports achieving 'herd immunity' through vaccination, not by allowing a disease to spread through any segment of the population, as this would result in unnecessary cases and deaths.