Covid: Protect Scotland app compatible with NI and Jersey
- Published
More than 1.5m people have downloaded the Protect Scotland app to their smartphones
Scotland's coronavirus contact tracing app is now compatible with systems in Northern Ireland and Jersey - with England and Wales set to follow.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said the Protect Scotland app would have UK-wide compatibility in the "coming weeks".
Ms Freeman said the move was an "important step" in helping to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
More than 1.5m people have downloaded the Protect Scotland app to their smartphones.
The app uses Bluetooth technology to alert users if they have been in prolonged close contact with someone who has since tested positive for Covid-19.
So far, more than 10,000 people having been contacted by the system.
It will now work in conjunction with the Stop COVID NI app as well the Jersey COVID Alert.
Users are being urged to keep the Protect Scotland app active on their phones if they travel to either Northern Ireland or Jersey - allowing the different systems to connect to each other.
Meanwhile, an agreement has been reached over the NHS Covid-19 app used in England and Wales, while Beat Covid Gibraltar will join Scotland's federated server in early November.
Welcoming the work, Ms Freeman said the Protect Scotland app was "a vital tool in helping to suppress Covid-19".
She added: "While people are being advised to travel less at the moment, this compatibility will allow those having to travel for essential reasons to continue to be alerted.
"This allows people to self-isolate quickly if they have been exposed to the virus, reducing the risk of them infecting others.
"We also know that not everyone uses a smartphone or will be able to or want to access the app, which is why this software is very much there to complement existing contact tracing methods."
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