Question reference: S5W-31026
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 31 July 2020
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Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jeane Freeman on 31 July 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Republic of Ireland’s launch of its COVID-19 Tracker App, and the launch of Northern Ireland’s StopCOVID NI app, whether Scotland plans to develop its own contact tracing app.
Answer
Following careful consideration of all the options open to us, and taking into account the undoubted additional benefits that anonymous contract tracing technology can offer Scotland’s tried and trusted Test & Protect service, I can confirm that a contact tracing app to support NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect system is now in development.
The app will focus solely on proximity tracing using Bluetooth technology to anonymously alert users if they have been in close contact with another user who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). The software is voluntary and will not ask users for any personal information at any time.
The Scottish contact tracing app will be developed by NearForm using the same software as the Republic of Ireland contact tracing app, which has already been adapted for use in Northern Ireland and Gibraltar and will work with those apps to support movement across the common travel area.
This will complement existing person to person contact tracing which will remain the main component of NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect system.