Julia Hartley-Brewer clashes with Dr Philippa on 'pingdemic'
The Department of Health and Social Care, led by Sajid Javid, has admitted that although it has gathered the figures for how many Britons have switched off the contract tracing app, it will not be releasing this data. Political commentators have suggested that the Government’s refusal to divulge this information suggests that the number of Britons still using the app is embarrassingly low.
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Politicians had originally said the test-and-trace scheme would be ‘world-class’, but the app created a ‘pingdemic’ whereby tens of thousands of people a day were being notified to isolate.
Most recently, over-pinging has been blamed for a new shortage in lorry drivers.
In mid-July more than half a million people in the UK were pinged in a single week and huge numbers of people were losing income from having to isolate for up to 10 days.
Many Britons complained that the system was too strict, as they were being forced to isolate for a long time even though they were repeatedly testing negative for Covid.
One Twitter user said: “The pingdemic has played havoc with staffing levels.”
Another added: “It’s those working in pubs and restaurants who are the most effected by the pingdemic as we’re working with hundreds of people a day.”
How effective do you think the app has been at tackling the spread of Covid? Share your opinion in the comments section and by voting.
A month ago, YouGov conducted a study showing that 40 percent of Britons never downloaded the app in the first place.
One in 10 Britons who downloaded the NHS app had subsequently deleted it, a third had turned off Bluetooth so that the app would not work, and another third had avoided ‘checking-in’ with the app at venues.
In attempts to stop people from deleting the app, the Government tweaked it so it only instructs people to isolate if contact occurs within two days of a positive test, rather than five days, as of August 2.
YouGov found that over 40 percent of people supported making the NHS app less sensitive, while 35 percent of people thought it would be a bad idea.
The Government has also been running a daily testing pilot scheme in a bid to decrease the number of Britons who are forced to isolate by the NHS test and trace app system.
The Government website says: “Currently, everyone who’s been notified by NHS Test and Trace that they’ve been in contact with someone who’s tested positive for COVID-19 in England must self-isolate for 10 full days.
“NHS Test and Trace will invite people who have been traced as a contact to take part in the study, providing they do not have symptoms.
“Participants in the daily testing group who continue to test negative and do not have symptoms are excused from the legal duty to self-isolate each day.”
Officials hope that the move to daily testing rather than forced isolation will help the economy get back on its feet and boost morale.