I’m sure we are all disappointed to hear of the new COVID cases in Auckland and my sympathies go out to those in Auckland who are now in lockdown again. One thing we can do as digital leaders is to be encouraging people to download and use the NZ COVID Tracer app.
I’m aware there has been discussion and debate about the effectiveness of apps, however this remains a tool which can assist with contact tracing, particularly if more cases of COVID are detected outside of the Auckland region over the coming days or weeks.
Since the app was first rolled out there is now new functionality which allows people to enter details of places they have been which don’t have QR codes. This could be uesful for sports grounds for example.
Please share the links below with your friends/colleagues/networks.
Agree it is so important that we do this. However, it is not easy.
The following is one quote from a small piece of research I am doing on how people use it and some of the things that put them off a bit.
“I wish it was easier to scan - it’s not exactly physically quick and simple to scan- once you fish out your phone - open the bloody app- tell the kids to shut up-put your glasses on - find you’ve been logged out - aim for the bloody thing - wonder if the scan worked - search for some way of checking - discover you can’t - re scan… I became a little fed up after discovering that my local cafe used a different tracer app-”
My experience is that the app itself works really well. It picks up QR codes very easily and the ability to now manually add venues is quick. For folk who find fumbling with their phone etc tricky they may prefer pen and paper or a photo of where they visit and then use the app (or not). It’s really about whatever works for the individual
Hi Gill. It would be helpful to feedback to the Ministry the details of these failures. I do know the local supermarket enlarged their posted to an A3 size and that caused some issues. We asked them to sort this. I have made the point of using the app everyday and every location where there is a QR code (which in my experience is quite a few places I go to). I have scanned hundreds of times. The apps has worked every time, without issue. I do know that Android phones can be a bit problematic. Feedback is helpful for the Ministry so they can get these issues sorted, otherwise we are running blind.
There will be further apps changes including making it even easier to use but overall the feedback we get is that it works well and isn’t that hard to use…in fact regular users say it is easy and fast. People are not motivated in level 1 to scan but at higher levels the motivation is different. I don’t expect to see a proliferation of non-govt QR codes. In Wellington the Rippl app works with the govt QR code and their QR codes are being swapped out for the govt one. In saying that, we do find Android phones can be problematic. We have done some work on that.
Hey Shayne,
I agree, it is much better from first iteration and I am sure it will only get better.
I think the people that are possibly finding it harder (or less easy) are the low frequency users. The people I have been collecting info from report that they are very motivated to use it (and were early adopters and users) and they report consistently the need to support its use but also report that using it is not a daily experience.
With the “quote” I posted, I was just trying to illustrate that for some, its use has some functional process issues. Hopefully, businesses will put more than 1 QR code up too. Just around me, they seem to locate these in the oddest places .
Thanks. Businesses will be getting some updated guidance on placement. It has been provided in the past but we will adjust to hopefully get them to make the posters more accessible. We have seen a massive uptick in app downloads and usage. Overnight 100k new registrations. Can’t recall the scanning increase but significant. I expect it to climb much higher.
by council/govt workers at entrances to all businesses without them. Have the worker record the location. This doesn’t give the individual user the name of the business but does allow the trace team to look up the code/location whem they get the list.
Require businesses and public areas to ask to see the tick for people coming in or picking up takeaways etc.
Hmm not sure about that Covid card… I’m assuming that the only way it will work is if there is line of sight and enough time for the cards to recognise each other. I reckon wait for the PoC before roll out further? ?
Thanks Shayne - my partner using his i-phone has the QR code scan working successfully each time. My Samsung Android phone despite being a new phone, doesn’t seem to work with the QR scan - especially if covered with plastic or laminated. I’ll keep trying…
Shayne, your team have done a great job iteratively improving COVID Tracer. I hope that our populace jumps on board now and uses it avidly now that we are (appropriately) scared once more. Jolly hard to ingrain a habit in 5 million people; you’ve nailed the technical bit, just got to nail the cultural side now. Always trickier!
Personally, I’ve found that it works great on Android. Have noticed a marked improvement over the last two weeks.
This sounds a good idea. Tricky to get people to do it however, and some people simply don’t have capable phones. For example my wife’s camera is broken right now.
@gill and @shayne.hunter I have used the tracer app with two Samsung devices- a Note10 and the new S20 and have not had any challenges- aside from businesses not displaying the QR code in the past few weeks. I have been using the manual entry function where QR codes have not been available and that has worked smoothly as well
@Dparry It’s not a simple case of rolling out the COVIDCard. If we skipped the proposed trial and moved on COVIDCard it’s still 6 months away from being in peoples hands. However, the proposed trial in Rotorua is necessary despite what some others may say. It’s less about the tech. Re your idea of putting a COVIDCard by the QR code poster. Onto that. Now have some Bluetooth beacons and will do some small trials. Idea is that the app could detect and record the beacon as an alt to scanning the QR code. But there are some important things to test for. In parallel with all this we need to make the most of the app. Further app enhancements coming and more support to get businesses doing their part. 30k new posters created yesterday. Some business already actively asking people to scan and show the tick.
Number of registered users i.e. downloads where they have gone on to register (at 7:30am): 950,000 – this is an increase of 300,000 since midday Tuesday.
Since midday yesterday almost 200,000 poster scans and 130,000 manual diary entries. This is 8 times the usual daily number from last week.
There have been 37,000 posters created since midday Tuesday. 4000 of those were made between 4:30pm and 5pm yesterday. This gives us a total of 124,654 posters made from 53,175 NZBN-registered entities.
Yesterday there was 1700 support requests received to the help@covidtracer.min.health.nz mailbox. These are a mix of bulk requests for new posters, and people asking for help with the app. Some of the app support queries are related to difficulties logging in or verifying accounts. We have some work to do in the area. Almost all relate to Android pones…older models.
I have also used the tracer app with a Samsung S10 and S7 with no problems.
I like the idea of showing the tick, very easy to do with minimal overheads and will drive uptake of the tracer app and increase reassurance for the people in the business being entered.
And lots of people have older phones……or even ones without scanning functionality unfortunately. Maybe we could have a trade in scheme where people could trade in an older phone for a slightly newer (not very expensive) but scan compliant phone. Maybe through WINZ?
.