NHS COVID App – York commentary archive site

Deaths and test results

TWENTYFOUR additional positive test results announced today bringing the cumulative total number of cases in the City to 1185. This is the largest number of cases reported in one day since May.

There have been no additional hospital deaths

The worst affected neighbourhoods over the last 7 days have been Holgate East and Rawcliffe/Clifton South.

Council report on recovery

The Councils executive will discuss an update report on the local response to the pandemic when they meet on 1st October. The report contains little that is new and – as always – is in danger of being overtaken by events before it is even read. A copy can be found by clicking here.

The Council does however seem to realise that the defects in the testing programme are a matter of growing concern.

NHS COVID App now working

The new test and trace app has now been switched on. If successful it should make tracking the COVID virus easier. There are also other features which will make life a little easier.

The NHS COVID-19 app has been built in collaboration with some of the most innovative organisations in the world.

We’ve worked with medical experts, privacy groups and at-risk communities. And we’ve shared knowledge with the teams working on similar apps in many countries.

The app runs on proven software developed by Apple and Google, designed so that nobody will know who or where you are. And you can delete your data, or the app, at any time.

It has a number of features:

Trace: find out when you’ve been near other app users who have tested positive for coronavirus.
Alert: lets you know the level of coronavirus risk in your postcode district.
Check-in: get alerted if you’ve visited a venue where you may have come into contact with coronavirus, using a simple QR code scanner. No more form filling.
Symptoms: check if you have coronavirus symptoms and see if you need to order a test.
Test: helps you order a test if you need to.
Isolate: keep track of your self-isolation countdown and access relevant advice.

The app is available in the several languages:

How do I access it?

The NHS COVID-19 app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play.

Information deficit

While the new COVID app should make life a little easier, there remains a concern that information – that is readily available to the Council and NHS managers on a daily basis – is not shared at local level with residents.

It is now possible to use an App to order fish and chips to be ready at your local takeaway for a particular time slot. Yet testing numbers are only available on a weekly basis

It is amazing that real time stats are not provide for the number of COVID tests conducted each day and the backlog (waiting list) in demand in each local authority area.

Similarly the number of COVID hospital admissions, the number of beds occupied, ICU numbers and discharge figures remains a closely guarded secret. (We understand local reporters have asked for the information without a response).

Residents are also interested in transmission routes.

National figures (see below) point to intra family contacts as the main means of transmission but people visiting others persons homes and leisure activities also figure. Again, no local figures have been published.