Covid Tracker App used in less than 2% of positive cases

Report on app that has cost €1.66 million due in coming weeks following delays

Paul Reid, HSE chief executive, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and acting deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn at the launch the ‘Covid Tracker’ contact tracing app. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Less than 2 per cent of Covid-19 cases used the Covid Tracker App to notify close contacts. Only 23,976 Covid-19 infections — of the 1,260,329 positive cases in the state up to midnight on February 16 — used the HSE app to alert close contacts.

Close contacts can only be notified via the app on the direction of the HSE contact tracing team.

For close contacts to be alerted contact tracers must ask the positive ...