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The head of the health service has said the contact-tracing app will not play a major role in the country\u2019s strategy to emerge from lockdown.<\/p>\nThe head of the health service has said the contact-tracing app will not play a major role in the country\u2019s strategy to emerge from lockdown.<\/p>\n
Health Minister Simon Harris said Covid Tracker Ireland App being developed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) will only work if there is maximum public buy-in.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Health Service Executive Covid-19 weekly briefing, HSE chief Paul Reid the app will play a role in how get out of lockdown but said it is not the only factor.<\/p>\n
Mr Reid said the app is set to become available at the end of May to users aged over 16 and it will be voluntary.<\/p>\n
He said people who have the app and have been in close contact with a confirmed case will receive a push notification.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe contact tracing app plays a role, not a major role, but it plays a role in terms of contact tracing process.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to emphasize that the app is one element of a massive contact-tracing operation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe app will be an element of the overall contact tracing system and that has been the experience in Europe.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is part of a process of a wider contact and tracing system, it is not the only solution.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the HSE will begin a scoping exercise to develop a future model of operations for testing and tracing.<\/p>\n
The time it takes for a test from swab to result is 2.4 days while contact tracing was done within 1.5 days of that.<\/p>\n