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Have your say: Are you going to download the government's coronavirus contact tracing app?

Have your say: Are you going to download the government's coronavirus contact tracing app?

Following months of delay and questions about its effectiveness, the government's coronavirus contact tracing app has finally launched across England and Wales.

NHS Test and Trace, which is responsible for the service, said the app was used to send alerts to users during a trial period on the Isle of Wight and in the London borough of Newham, after people had tested positive.

The latest version was piloted among residents of both areas as well as NHS volunteers from mid-August, after the first app was marred by technical issues and eventually scrapped.

As the software is voluntary, its success will also depend heavily on how many people choose to download and use it.

An advertising campaign to promote the app will appear on television this evening with the strapline, “Protect your loved ones. Get the app”.

It comes at a critical time for the UK, with confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the rise daily.

Read more: Coronavirus contact tracing app: How it works and other key questions answered