Record number of Peterborough residents hit by ‘pingdemic’ as nearly 2,000 told to self isolate by app

A record number of Peterborough residents have been residents were told to self isolate by the NHS COVID app last week, it has been revealed.
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A total of 1,957 people were given a ‘ping’ in Peterborough from the app in the seven days up to July 21 - the highest total since data was made available in February.

The total means that the record for the amount of pings in Peterborough has been broken for five weeks in a row. Last week the weekly total was 1,492.

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Since the app was launched, there have now been 11,511 pings in Peterborough.

A record number of Peterborough people have been told to isolate by the app (Photo illustration by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) SUS-210719-160910003A record number of Peterborough people have been told to isolate by the app (Photo illustration by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) SUS-210719-160910003
A record number of Peterborough people have been told to isolate by the app (Photo illustration by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) SUS-210719-160910003

If you are ‘pinged’ by the app, it is advised you self isolate, but it is not a legal requirement. Downloading the app is also voluntary.

If you are contacted by the NHS Test and Trace Service and told to self isolate, you must do so.

The ‘pingdemic’ has caused issues for companies which have seen staff isolating at home

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Using the app on a smart phone is voluntary. If an app user tests positive for coronavirus, they can choose to share their result anonymously. The NHS will then send alerts to other app users who have spent time near them, or been in ‘close contact’, over the last few days. These alerts will never identify an individual.

‘Close contact’ is based on an algorithm, but generally means you’ve been within 2 metres of someone with coronavirus for 15 minutes or more.

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