Northern Ireland

Coronavirus contact-tracing app now available to 11-17-year-olds

The StopCOVID NI app has now been made available to 11-17-year-olds in a bid to boost the fight against coronavirus
The StopCOVID NI app has now been made available to 11-17-year-olds in a bid to boost the fight against coronavirus The StopCOVID NI app has now been made available to 11-17-year-olds in a bid to boost the fight against coronavirus

The StopCOVID NI app has been made available to 11-17-year-olds in a bid to boost the fight against coronavirus.

The app was launched at the end of July, making it the first proximity app in the UK but was only available to adults.

The newly updated version is available from this week following extensive focus group work with young people and youth advocacy groups.

Health Minister Robin Swann said the more people with the app active on their smart phones "the more effective it will be".

Mr Swann predicted that the current 400,000 downloads could now be raised to 500,000.

"It will make a significant contribution to reducing the spread of the virus by speeding up notification of infection risk and advising self-isolation where required," he said.

"I would reassure young people and everyone else that the app protects their privacy. The Government does not know who you are, where you are, or who you have been with.

"The app uses anonymised smartphone data to let you down you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive."

Koulla Yiasouma, Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, said she was "satisfied and pleased that the rights of children and young people have been considered in its development and that it also protects their privacy.”