UK to tweak Covid-19 phone app after 'pingdemic' disruption

Number of people being told to self-isolate will be significantly reduced

England's Covid-19 mobile phone app will be tweaked so that fewer contacts of asymptomatic people who test positive for the disease will need to self-isolate, Britain's health ministry said on Monday.

Business leaders have raised concerns about the numbers of staff who are having to self-isolate after being "pinged" by the app when they come into contact with someone who then tests positive for Covid-19.

Under the change, if someone tests positive but is asymptomatic, the app will look for their close contacts in the two days prior to the positive test, rather than five days.

The Department of Health and Social Care said that the change would reduce the number of notifications sent by the app, but would not reduce the app's sensitivity, and it would still catch the same number of high-risk contacts.

"We want to reduce the disruption that self-isolation can cause for people and businesses, while ensuring we’re protecting those most at risk from this virus," Health Minister Sajid Javid said.

"This update to the app will help ensure that we are striking the right balance."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has lifted nearly all coronavirus restrictions in England, saying that vaccines have largely broken the link between coronavirus cases and death, even though the virus remains prevalent.

Relatives embrace as they arrive from the US at Heathrow's Terminal 5 in west London.

A mother embraces her son as he arrives from the US at Heathrow. People fully vaccinated in the US and EU, except France, can now travel to England without having to quarantine on arrival.

Families reunite as they arrive from the US at Heathrow.

Relatives embrace as they arrive from the United States at Heathrow's Terminal 5.

Mothers Debbie Greaves, center, and Karen Tyler, right, who don't know each other, wait to greet their sons arriving on different flights at Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport.

Circus lighting technician Ryan Dobie receives a vaccination as circus performers look on at a new ‘Pop Up’ vaccination centre in the Big Top of Circus Extreme in Shibden Park in Halifax.

Dr Lisa Pickles, clinical lead for the local vaccination program, prepares a syringe at the Big Top of Circus Extreme vaccination clinic.

Travellers exit from an arrivals gate at St Pancras International station following the arrival of a Eurostar train from Paris, in London.

An NHS worker prepares for patients at a pop-up vaccination centre during a four-day Covid-19 vaccine festival in Langdon Park, east London.

A person receives a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at the Central Middlesex Hospital in London.

A health worker wears a mask which bears a slogan asking for fair pay for nurses during a demonstration about pay in the UK's National Health Service, in London.

Gardener Gemma Hearn making a final trim of the Hampton Court Maze before it reopens to the public at Hampton Court Palace, in south-west London.

Customers queue for the London Eye attraction on the South Bank of the River Thames in central London.

An NHS public health message in view of Westminster Abbey in London.

A shopper wearing a face covering crosses the street at Oxford Circus in London.

Some scientists object to the popular phrase "pingdemic" for the disruption to businesses from the self-isolation advice from the app. They say it trivialises the public health benefits of self-isolation when many other measures have been scrapped.

The government has urged people to keep using the app, which is not compulsory.

It said that contacts who were previously being notified to self-isolate in the old system were unlikely to have been exposed to the positive person at the peak of their infectiousness.

Further changes to the self-isolation rules will come in on August 16, when people who are fully vaccinated and come into contact with a positive case won't have to self-isolate unless they test positive themselves.