Covid 19 Coronavirus: Government Implements Bluetooth Tracking As QR Scan Rates Plunge

As complacency takes hold of Kiwis once again, the government hopes that the deployment of Bluetooth close contact tracking will speed up response in the event of a Covid-19 outbreak in the summer.

Starting tomorrow, Kiwis will be able to use the Covid Tracer app on their phones to record other devices with which they approach.

It comes as the QR scan rate has plummeted once again, with only 8 percent of the app’s users scanning codes in the last 24 hours on Monday.

“We need as many people as possible to use the app, so it is incredibly important for New Zealanders to know that they can trust the app with their personal information,” said Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins.

Bluetooth technology becomes much more valuable the more people use it, and it is backed by the Privacy Commissioner.

“The Kiwis deserve a summer break more than ever this year, but we can’t stop staring at the ball,” Hipkins said.

“The prospect of another outbreak should serve as a rock under our beach towels.”

Hipkins also warned Kiwis that Bluetooth technology was not a substitute for scanning QR codes.

“QR codes allow us to create a private record of the places we’ve been, while Bluetooth creates an anonymous record of the people we’ve been with.

“It allows users of the application to receive an alert if they have been near another user of the application who tests positive for Covid-19.”

Public health experts have continued to urge the government to make greater use of technology in its response to Covid, especially as Kiwis have experienced varying levels of complacency in recent months.

There are currently 2.4 million registered users of the Covid Tracer app, 90 percent of whom have phones that support Bluetooth tracking.

But data from the Health Ministry shows that the number of active users – people who used it in the last 24 hours – has plummeted from nearly 1 million in early September to just 197,919 on Monday.

That means that on Monday only 8 percent of registered users were considered active users, although this reflects the use of Sunday, when there are fewer people at work or on public transport.

Bluetooth tracking works by generating random “keys” and exchanging them with other nearby smartphones.

Keys do not contain any information about who you are or where you were, which means that no personal or identifying information is exchanged.

The app will use the Apple / Google Exposure Notification Framework, but neither the Government, Apple nor Google will be able to track movements.

When an application user tests positive, they can choose to alert other application users who may have been exposed to the virus. This involves uploading the “keys” that your phone has transmitted since it became infectious.

If your phone has one of the keys in the notification, you will receive an alert along with tips on what to do next to keep yourself and your whānau safe.

The Ministry of Health will not know that you have received an alert unless you choose to get in touch for information and advice.

The ministry can still send automatic in-app alerts about exposure events to people who have scanned QR codes in places visited by potentially infectious people.

The app will automatically update tomorrow and can also be updated manually via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Users of the application will be asked if they want to enable Bluetooth tracking the next time they open the application. It is not mandatory to use it.

It also uses Bluetooth Low Energy, so the impact on the phone’s battery should be minimal.

People who don’t have smartphones could use the Covid card, though Hipkins didn’t say when it might be available.

The card similarly uses Bluetooth to register other cards with which it is in close proximity.

The government has been accused of delaying using technology to aid Covid’s response, and TradeMe founder Sam Morgan disbanded his Covid Card team months ago in frustration, despite the government continuing to investigate it.

The Covid card was recently tested in Rotorua and is still expected to be tested in managed isolation and quarantine facilities.