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- Over 2m app users in Ireland helped contact tracing and supported vaccine certs
- Over 10m EU Digital COVID-19 certificates issued to Irish population since 2021
Today, the HSE is retiring two elements of Ireland’s COVID-19 response – the COVID Tracker app and the EU Digital COVID Certificate. Used by over 2 million people at its peak, the app supported the contract tracing process in Ireland, and also helped people to display and share their COVID-19 vaccine certificates as services reopened.
Fran Thompson, HSE Chief Information Officer said today:
‘‘The COVID Tracker app was developed using an Irish partner, and successfully used to track symptom spread, store personal records of symptoms and share key epidemiological figures and trends directly with the public. Later, the app served as a user-friendly, accessible way for members of the public to store their EU Digital COVID certs.
The HSE would like to thank the public for their overwhelming support of the COVID Tracker app, for taking up vaccines in record numbers, and for the many other important, personal and difficult steps they took to support our COVID response and protect the population over the last 3 years. We hope to be able to deliver similar, effective digital health tools to support our health service in the future.”
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, said today:
“Our national COVID-19 response saw a range of effective digital health solutions delivered at pace by the HSE, cross-Government agencies and partners. The COVID Tracker app assisted existing contact tracing operations by reducing the time it takes to trace close contact. It enabled us to reach more people, more quickly with the right advice, while also maintaining a strong commitment to privacy, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. It was an example of effective, innovative collaboration between the HSE, Department of Health and wider Government, and earned the support of the Irish public.”
Less than 48-hours after its launch in July 2020, the app had 1 million downloads and, in its lifetime, amassed a total of 4.2 million registrations, with 2.9 million of these including a phone number for further assistance, which was critical for contact tracing.
The COVID Tracker was at its peak usage on 6th January, 2022, with over 2 million active users, accounting for 53% of people aged 16 and over in Ireland. It issued 102,439 One Time Codes to people who tested positive for COVID-19 and 24,857 close contacts anonymously uploaded their contacts. 29% of people who received a close contact notification tested positive which meant they could take action quickly to self-isolate or restrict their movements and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Digital COVID Certificate was introduced in the EU in 2021, in response to the lifting of restrictions domestically and across international borders. It allowed for certificates for test results, evidence of recovery and vaccination. Since that time, over 10 million vaccine certs, 1.1 million negative test certs and 650,000 recovery certs have been provided to people in Ireland.
The EU regulation that requires member states to issue EU Digital COVID-19 Certificates expires today, and EU Digital Covid Certificates for negative tests or as evidence of recovery will no longer be issued from 1st July 2023. The HSE will continue to issue people with proof of COVID-19 vaccination via email or by post on request from HSELive, after their vaccine.
From today, the COVID Tracker app will no longer be available to download from the app store and play store. The statistics will no longer be updated, and people will still be able to carry their vaccine certificate in the app until it is switched off completely at the beginning of August. In line with our commitment to privacy and transparency, the HSE will also delete the small amount of data collected by the app at that time.
For information on the COVID Tracker app or vaccine certificates, please visit www.hse.ie or call HSELive on 1800 700 700.