Local lockdowns could be imposed within 24 hours of a coronavirus outbreak thanks to real-time data from the NHS app, it was claimed today. If lots of people in one area start suffering symptoms then local health authorities are alerted to the cluster, allowing them to take rapid action to suppress the virus. Stockport and Wigan also managed to break free from the shackles of local lockdowns but had measures reimposed on Friday after infections rebounded. The NHS app, the latest weapon in the UK's armoury for battling coronavirus, had been downloaded 12.4million times as of yesterday, the Department of Health said. The NHS app is not monitoring a person's location, but uses the postcode inputted when it was downloaded to pinpoint the location of an infection should a user send an alert.

Source: Daily Mail September 29, 2020 10:21 UTC