Covid-19 app launch in Northern Ireland is imminent – Health Minister

A smartphone app aimed at tracking the spread of coronavirus is set to be launched in Northern Ireland “imminently”. Health Minister Robin Swann told the Stormont Assembly that the app will help to break transmission chains and reduce the reproductive rate of Covid-19. He said it will be “interoperable” with the equivalent app in the Republic of Ireland, and is also “highly likely” to be compatible with apps introduced in future across the UK and Europe. “This will be the first instance of such a solution worldwide and we’ll be the first example of such apps operating in an interoperable manner,” he told MLAs. “The Stop Covid NI app is due to go live imminently but the date that it will be released for download will be subject to the review process undertaken by the (Apple) App Store and Google Play.