Dear colleagues,

 

New guidance for staff wearing PPE who are using the COVID tracker app has been released. Please distribute this message through your networks.

 

The Covid Tracker App has been downloaded over a million times and sent close contact notifications to over 900 people. We are now issuing guidance for health care workers and GPs that wear PPE when providing care to patients.

 

We would encourage all health care workers and GPs to download and use the app, but there are some simple steps you will need to take to ensure that you do not receive close contact alerts when the risk of transmission is reduced or non-existent due to the use of PPE.

 

The recommendation from Public Health is that GPs and other healthcare workers involved in patient care should turn off the contact tracing feature in the app when they begin patient care, and importantly remember to switch it back on when you finish work at shift or session end.

 

Read more about the guidance here

 

You can find out how to switch contact tracing on and off here.