Updated version of Covid-19 app out now

The app has already been downloaded over 43,000 times and has received strong approval ratings from users.

It is used several thousand times per day with hundreds of specific questions posed to the Covid-19 NI advice and guidance ‘chat-bot’ – software that responds in real time to questions from users.

The new Covid-19 NI version offers improved navigation, more detailed guides, updated links to latest reports and an updated symptom checker based on latest information.

The app continues to help members of the public to:

decide if they or someone they care for have the symptoms of coronavirus;

understand the severity of their symptoms and what to do and how to cope;

decide if they need to get clinical advice and how to access it;

access specific advice for vulnerable members of the community; and get an isolation note if they are advised to self-isolate.

Like the first version, the updated app does not ask users to submit any personal data other than their age, to determine the advice they receive, and their post code, to ensure they are a Northern Ireland resident.

The Department of Health’s Chief Digital Officer Dan West said: “We are very pleased to be able to update the app and build on its success to date.

“The Department of Health, working in partnership with two Belfast businesses, Civica and BigMotive, built the mobile app in less than 10 days which is an unprecedented speed for delivery of this kind of digital public service.

“The process to design and test the app involved members of the public and was aligned with accessibility guidelines, ensuring that the needs of all members of the public who could use the app were taken into account.”

Health Minister Robin Swann added: “This app underlines our commitment to keep the public as fully informed as possible. I commend those who have made it possible in such a short space of time and who have now continued with this pace of delivery with a second version. I would encourage everyone to download and use the Covid-19 NI app.”

The app is available to download and install at the GooglePlay and Apple AppStore.

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