Is anybody else actively avoiding being tracked and traced?

[Asterion]

I am actively avoiding anywhere that tracks and traces. Aside from having DC at school, which obvs I have no control over, we don't go anywhere (pub, restaurant etc) where they would need to take our details.

Reason being, I don't want to be at the mercy of someone who may have rocked up to that place and is now infected. It's more to do with the absolute balls-ache of having to self-isolate than a desperate fear of Covid, although you can never tell how you would get it.

Anyone else avoiding T&T?

I'm not downloading it.

Anything that is touched by Google is there to take and share your data. No thanks.

Feel the same. I only go where I have to and don’t want to sit in a cafe or go out for dinner etc.

Too many people not following the rules, I have the app but don’t want to be around those who aren’t being careful.

I think the problem is people don’t trust the government now, the track and trace has already shown to be unreliable. You can’t really blame people for not wanting to a flawed system that could put their livelihoods at further risk.

Why would you self isolate after a negative test?

Because that person’s sister had a positive test and they had presumably been in close contact, so even despite the negative test she’d have to isolate in case the test was negative due to the potential incubation period of 14 days.

My phone doesn’t support the app so unable to download it. Trying not to go anywhere where I have to track and trace as obviously don’t want to run the risk of having to isolate for two weeks. When writing your details on pieces of paper at bars/restaurants remember to write an exit time on it. If not, you could end up having to isolate if you have left before the infected person even entered the bar!

@Asterion
I left my details in one place, and then realised the implications. Not going somewhere like that again!
So basically you are saying you don’t want to know if you have been a close contact of someone who is Covid positive as that would require you to self isolate.
Instead you would rather remain ignorant and potential spread Covid19 to other as an asymptomatic carrier.
You have weighed things up and decided someone becoming potentially seriously ill or worse, is not a worthwhile trade of for you self isolating for two weeks.

Yes, I'm minimising going to places where details are taken. And part of my motivation is minimising the risk of having to self isolate due to someone else who's actions I have no control over.

Self isolating when not actually sick would be a pain in the backside and I'm happy to live without cafes and restaurants so that I can carry on going out for walks and visiting my dad.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with apps or being a danger to society .

Do people not know that giving your details at venues and the covid app are two totally separate things?

There's so much misunderstanding. The two things are independent of each other and have different purposes.

Where DH works people have to check in via the app or give their details. The purpose is the same: to contact them in the event of a later confirmation of a positive case.

What are the differing purposes of leaving your details in writing versus checking in via the app?

@LeanishMachine

Do you have to check in at work? We've (school) been specifically told by DFE not to and I've certainly never seen anything at the supermarket?

So DFE have told you not to download the app?

No the DfE and LA have said staff should be encouraged to use the App but it's not used to check in at work, schools don't have a QR code to check in with.

Op would you go to these place anyway and have changed your life substantially because of your feelings, or would you not be going anyway so this isn’t really an issue? It’s hard to tell.

I haven't downloaded the app and I've been to quite a few places where they ask you to check in, I just don't do it. I dont like it and I don't trust the app to be accurate. the only place I checked in was pizza express today as they made us otherwise you couldn't look at the menu!

@PleasantVille the app doesn’t let you check out. So you could be asked to self isolate unnecessarily. I’m just not going to do that!

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/coronavirus-nhs-covid-19-app-self-isolate-qr-code-location-venue-check-b593874.html?amp

Happy to reduce my own risk by visiting few indoor places, going to indoor places infrequently, social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing etc...

Always amazes me how much people think the government care about them... They don't. Track and trace is a small but important part of the response to enable us to carry on as normal. Good for you if you don't have to - if you do, then probably best you just track, trace and carry on. Honestly - no one cares where you are.

So basically you are saying you don’t want to know if you have been a close contact of someone who is Covid positive as that would require you to self isolate.

No, they’re saying they’re avoiding going to places where they’ll be in proximity to people in an enclosed space for a given period of time.

As a result, they’re massively reducing their chances in contracting the virus and of being close enough to others to pass it on, rather than being an ‘ignorant’ potential spreader.

It’s a bizarre interpretation whereby ‘I avoid going places full of people that require giving my details’ equates to ‘I don’t give a toss who I infect and kill’

To be clear, I give accurate details when I need to. But I'm actively involving situations where that arises. Which also means that I'm significantly reducing the risk of having any close contacts and also the risk of inadvertently spreading the virus, compared to people that are eating out and happily leaving their details. So no, I don't feel bad about that at all.

@WinifredSanderson

Yes, I actively avoid it. I don't have the app and don't intend to get it. You do realise it's not an NHS app at all but actually a serko app. Thanks but no thanks.

It's not a Serco app, the serco one was the original one which was scrapped.

I haven't downloaded the app and I'm not checking into pubs or restaurants to give my details. If they give me a paper form I do fill it in truthfully but I'm not doing it electronically.

@BigBadVoodooHat

So basically you are saying you don’t want to know if you have been a close contact of someone who is Covid positive as that would require you to self isolate.

No, they’re saying they’re avoiding going to places where they’ll be in proximity to people in an enclosed space for a given period of time.

As a result, they’re massively reducing their chances in contracting the virus and of being close enough to others to pass it on, rather than being an ‘ignorant’ potential spreader.

It’s a bizarre interpretation whereby ‘I avoid going places full of people that require giving my details’ equates to ‘I don’t give a toss who I infect and kill’

I was just about to answer that poster's question but you've done it for me, thanks!

@OrangeSamphire

I’m avoiding it now since I checked in at a coffee shop and then realised I couldn’t check out and was still in the cafe six hours later according to the app, when actually my visit was 10 minutes long to pick up a take away.

I don’t want to be forced to self isolate (again) for two weeks because someone with covid rocked up an hour or two hours after I left the cafe.

Once again , that's not how it works. From my previous post:

"a lot of people seem to be confusing the check in part of the app with the contact tracing part. The contact tracing is the part which uses Bluetooth to determine if you have been in close contact with other app users, and if one of these users later tests positive you'll get an alert with advice on what to do, such as self isolate. Contact tracing can be switched off for situations such as when you are leaving it in a locker.

With the check-in, if it is later discovered that others at the same venue at the same time as you have tested positive, you may get an alert with public health advice on what to do. Crucially, in the faqs about the app it says:

"This alert will not usually be triggered by just one person who tested positive, and it will not usually tell you to self-isolate, just to be aware and to get a test if you develop symptoms. The decision about whether to send an alert will be taken by local health protection teams in line with wider NHS Test and Trace or NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect policy, it is not an automated decision."

So all those people who are complaining about the prospect of being told to self isolate because Bob, who was 10 metres away from them at the other side of the restaurant, has tested positive, can stop worrying."

[quote AldiAisleofCrap]@Asterion
I left my details in one place, and then realised the implications. Not going somewhere like that again!
So basically you are saying you don’t want to know if you have been a close contact of someone who is Covid positive as that would require you to self isolate.
Instead you would rather remain ignorant and potential spread Covid19 to other as an asymptomatic carrier.
You have weighed things up and decided someone becoming potentially seriously ill or worse, is not a worthwhile trade of for you self isolating for two weeks.[/quote]
That's an inventive interpretation.

@Bluntness100

Op would you go to these place anyway and have changed your life substantially because of your feelings, or would you not be going anyway so this isn’t really an issue? It’s hard to tell.

I have changed my life a bit. I was going to pop to our local pub with DH the other day but then realised they would be T&Ting, so decided not to. Also not going into cafes in town.

Yes I am. But that is largely because I have already had Covid and had a positive antibody test fairly recently, so I feel like I am lower risk than most for passing it on. I am being sensible and following the rules, but I don't fancy being told to self isolate again unnecessarily.

Yup same here.
Kids going to school. My daughter is doing one essential extracurricular activity. And apart from that avoiding anywhere that takes details.
Really wanted to exchange books at the library but last time they took details so not sure I want to go back.
And also Clark's the shoes shop took our details a few weeks ago was shocked about that one.

I’m not confused at all @RichardMarxisinnocent.

I don’t trust or have clarity on the app’s definition of ‘at the same time’, nor do I trust or have clarity on the government’s use of the word ‘usually’ in reference to app driven self isolation advice.