Push notifications will start sending to users on the Service NSW app this week which is a mighty relief indeed.
After 700,000 COVID case alerts were put on user’s check-in histories without them actually being alerted to the fact they’d been in the same venue as a positive COVID case, the rollout of push notifications is very welcome news.
The push notification feature will arrive tomorrow, October 29th, brought forward from the initial planned date, December 1st.
Damon Rees, Service NSW CEO, confirmed the arrival of push notifications to 9News. “For customers who opt-in to receive them, they will receive a push notification indicating that something in their history has changed and they should go and check,” he said.
“If there’s been a confirmed visit to a venue by someone who is COVID-positive, and if you’ve visited that venue in the 24 hours following, then that would appear on your history.”
Emma Hogan, Service NSW secretary, said the message will alert the person to monitor for symptoms. “The message will be one that suggests that you need to monitor for symptoms and if they arise to get tested,” Ms Hogan said.”
NSW Health will continue to call anyone who is considered a casual contact, with the push notifications being reserved for a casual contact.
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It comes after Service NSW introduced exposure site indicators in the app’s check-in history last month. Using date published by NSW Health, the app added an “indication” of when a venue was visited by a positive COVID case.
If you have been identified as a close contact of a COVID case, keep a close eye out for any symptoms and arrange a COVID test if anything starts to develop and isolate immediately.
In other good COVID-related news, at-home rapid antigen COVID tests will be available in Australian supermarkets from November, starting in Coles next week.
For more on this topic, follow the Health & Wellness Observer.
