The sensitivity of the NHS Covid-19 tracing app is to be reduced after the number of people “pinged” rose more than 60 per cent in a week. Ministers fear that users will delete the app to avoid being advised to self-isolate.
Whitehall officials are planning to alter how long and how close someone has to be to another app user to be considered a coronavirus risk, but have not decided what the new rules will be.
Even Conservative MPs were said to be disabling their apps and going into self-imposed quarantine before their holidays to avoid being told to isolate.
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said the government would “tweak the app to be suitable to the circumstances of the time”.
He told the BBC:
