Do you still need to use NHS COVID-19 app? This is the latest advice

The contact tracing app was released by the NHS and Department of Health and Social Care in a joint venture and enables those who have been in close contact with a person with coronavirus to be identified using their mobile phone.

It is mandatory for venues in the hospitality, tourism, and leisure industries, as well as hairdressers and similar services, to display their own QR code, which is to be scanned upon entry by anyone entering the premises.

It is linked to the NHS Test and Trace scheme which has come under fire this week by MPs in a report that stated there was “no clear evidence” it had cut coronavirus infections.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget included an additional £15 billion for Test and Trace, taking the total bill to more than £37 billion over two years.

As the country eases out of lockdown restrictions, many will be wondering whether or not they still need to use the smartphone app.

Here is what you need to know.

What is the app?

Guide to how the NHS COVID-19 app works. Picture: PA

The NHS COVID-19 contact tracing smartphone app, which covers England and Wales, allows people to know if they have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19. It also advises you how long you need to self-isolate for.

Through the smartphone app, you can ‘check-in’ into a venue via scanning a QR code. This allows the venue to have your details, in case a person entered the venue before testing positive for coronavirus.

Prior to the third national lockdown, users could use it to check what Tier they were in, what the restrictions were and what the latest guidance is.

Users can also check symptoms of coronavirus, how to book a test or enter their test result.

Which venues have to display the NHS QR Code sign in and where do I need to do it?

A QR code to scan inside a Caffe Nero upon entry.

It is a legal requirement for designated venues to maintain staff, customer, and visitor logs and display an official NHS QR code poster.

This requirement applies to any establishment that provides on-site service and to any events that take place on its premises. It does not apply where services are taken off-site immediately, for example, a food or drink outlet which only provides takeaways.

If a business offers a mixture of a sit-in and takeaway service, contact information only needs to be sought for customers who are dining in.

Do I still have to use the app? What Department of Health says about using app

It is vital that people still use the app to sign into venues, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.

A spokeswoman said that it is important that people continue to scan the QR code when entering venues in order to monitor any coronavirus cases and curb the spread of the virus.

She said: “The NHS COVID-19 App is an important tool in our pandemic response.

“It has instructed hundreds of thousands of people to self-isolate since it launched and it has been hugely effective at breaking chains of transmission, preventing an estimated 600,000 cases.

“Users have checked into venues 104 million times and thanks to the app, 272 venues were identified as ‘at risk’.

“Alerts were sent to users who had checked into those businesses, meaning they were protected by informing them as quickly as possible they may be at risk.”

Department of Health adds that it is 'even more important that these rules are implemented' to support outbreak management and help the country return to normal as per the Prime Minister's roadmap. 

What you need to do when entering venues and what happens if you don't want to use the app

Screenshot of NHS app. Picture: Dorset Echo

According to the app’s support page, people who do not want to check into a venue using the NHS COVID-19 app should alternatively provide their contact details.

You have the right to choose to provide your contact details if you prefer this to using the NHS COVID-19 app.

Customers or visitors to hospitality venues must do at least one of the following:

• scan the official NHS QR code poster
• provide their name and contact details
• be in a group for which one other member has provided name and contact details

Hospitality venues in England must refuse entry to those who do none of the above. In England, if you choose to check in with the NHS QR code you do not need to provide your contact details as well.

Department of Health say that failure to comply with the law can result in a fixed penalty notice of £1,000.

How NHS COVID-19 app could be used in the coming months

The NHS app could be used to display vaccination status or the latest coronavirus test results, as the debate on the possible introduction of vaccine passports continues.

Boris Johnson previously said that he has tasked senior minister Michael Gove with leading a review into the “deep and complex issues” surrounding “Covid status certificates”.

But it was understood that the “proper review” will also investigate whether businesses such as pubs and theatres could be prohibited from making access conditional on vaccination alone.

Current thinking was that customers required to by venue owners may be able to use the NHS Covid-19 app to prove that they have either received a jab or a recent negative test, and therefore be granted entry.

Combining the two events was understood to be one option being considered by ministers to avoid discriminating against those who decline the jab for health, or other, reasons.