BUSINESSES and residents across the district are being reminded that the national NHS Test and Trace app launches tomorrow (Thursday).

The new app will be used to notify users if they come into contact with someone who later tests positive for coronavirus

It will also allow people to report symptoms, order a coronavirus test, check in to venues by scanning a QR code and help the NHS trace individuals who may have coronavirus.

A wide range of businesses, organisations and community venues are now required by national law to collect customer, visitor and staff contact detail logs, as well as displaying an official NHS QR code poster. Failure to collect these details or display the poster will result in fixed penalty fines.

The QR code posters can be downloaded from the Government's website.

When someone enters a venue and scans a QR code poster, the venue information will be logged on the user’s phone. The device will check if users have been at that location at the relevant time and if the app finds a match, users will get an alert anonymously with advice on what to do based on the level of risk.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “We all have to do our bit to help control the spread of the virus and using this app is just one of the ways that we can do this. It is really important that businesses create these posters and encourage all their customers to used them.

"The more people who use the app the better it will work to trace the virus, help people to get tested faster and find out if they need to self-isolate sooner. This will all help to bring the virus under control and get us back to doing all those things that we’ve missed. Anyone with a smart phone should download the app tomorrow and use it where ever they go.”

More information, including what information businesses need to collect and how records should be maintained, can be found at www.covid19.nhs.uk