Protect Scotland: More than 100 people told to self isolate by new coronavirus contact tracing app

More than 100 people have been told to self isolate by Scotland’s new contact tracing app.

Nicola Sturgeon revealed the figure today during the First Minister’s Questions in Scottish Parliament, and said that one million people have now downloaded the Protect scotland app which has been available on Apple’s App Store or Google Play since September 10.

She said: “One million is already a big enough number to know it can make a difference and more than 100 people have been advised to self isolate as a result of using it.”

The Protect Scotland app uses Bluetooth connectivity to exchange anonymous, encrypted, random codes with other app users’ mobile phones.

These codes then allow it to inform people if they have been in close contact with someone who later tests positive.

Ms Sturgeon also revealed today that a further 290 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland.

The First Minister said 112 of these cases are in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, with 52 in Lanarkshire and 47 in Lothian. The remaining 79 cases are spread across nine other health boards.

But she stressed some of these test results will likely come from the past few days due to the backlog of processing tests in the UK’s lab network.

The Protect Scotland app will alert people when they have been in close contact with someone who later tests positive. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The First Minister said that no deaths of people who tested positive for the virus have been recorded in Scotland in the latest 24 hour period.

Ms Sturgeon said the R number - the average number of people who get infected from one person - is above one and possibly as high as 1.4.

She reiterated that people living in Glasgow City, East and West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire and North or South Lanarkshire should not visit people in other households.

As of Monday, a new law says that residents across Scotland should not meet in groups of more than six from a maximum of two different households - including outdoors and indoors in homes, pubs and restaurants.

Ms Sturgeon said: “We hope new rules from Monday will help reduce transmission and we are considering whether future restrictions will be necessary for all or part of the country.”

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