Have been asked to turn the covid app off at work?

[Ilovecandlez]

Has anyone been asked to turn the app off at work? Or ignore any notifications?

Nope, encouraged to have it on and had members of staff told to SI from it.

We aren’t allowed our phones anywhere near us at work so it wouldn’t do anything anyway.

We had guidance from the LA that essentially the NHS app will track people where the phone is left (i.e. in a staff room it will think people are near by as mobiles left near each other, but the actual staff are not near each other but all in separate bubbles). We have had unnecessary staff isolation due to this. So we have been asked to disable the app in school.

Yes, we have. I'm leaving mine on.

MrsZola - why? Are you allowed your phone with you at school?

Thanks. I’ve heard that the signal can go through walls so unnecessary isolation day if your office is next to a corridor

We have our phones with us (or wherever we choose to keep them) so I have it on.
I think teachers should be smart enough to work out that if you and your phone are not together, it will pick up bad information!

@Ilovecandlez

Thanks. I’ve heard that the signal can go through walls so unnecessary isolation day if your office is next to a corridor

Wouldn't this apply to anywhere you use the app? An office block, a cafe, a shop - positive person on the next aisle over to you etc? Either it works or it doesn't.

The signal can pass through walls but is weakened and will appear further away. It will not tell you to isolate because you are next to a corridor. If you don’t carry your phone with you then you should turn the contact tracing scanning off, if you are behind a Perspex screen or in medical grade PPE you should turn it off. Other than that it should be on and scanning at all times.

Are have been told to disable it in school. I'm teaching in multiple rooms so my phone is with me in my bag/trolley at all times.

I've got it turned on though after we had a student vomit in a classroom and test positive. All students were isolated via being a 'close contact' but not the teacher. This was a 6th former too and most of them do have the app, so it might just be a bit of a saviour for us.

We should be treated like every other type of employee that has very limited protection. I understand certain health care workers not using it when they are in full PPE but that isn't something we have!

I completely agree WhyareWehardofthinking.
I know dentists have to turn it off but they have full ppe. Yes there are issues with schools isolating a whole class but not the teacher even though the teacher could have been closer to that individual than the other students!

We were. We raised it with the NEU who confirmed with the LA that was not appropriate advice and we were given updated advice which now follows the specific government guidance for using the app in educational settings.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-the-nhs-covid-19-app-in-schools-and-further-education-colleges/use-of-the-nhs-covid-19-app-in-schools-and-further-education-colleges