Nationwide daily scans on the app have plummeted to around 500,000 in recent weeks. Photo / File
Nationwide daily scans on the app have plummeted to around 500,000 in recent weeks. Photo / File
Hastings' mayor has reminded her constituents that "we're in the middle of a pandemic" after a snap survey showed a low percentage of people in the region are signing in on the Government's Covid-19 tracer app.
Hawke's Bay Today on Friday observed Covid-19 tracer app behaviour at two supermarkets, onein Napier and one in Hastings.
At one entrance of Pak'nSave Napier at midday Friday, 90 of the 100 people surveyed walked into the store without using the QR code at the entrance. There is a QR code located inside the store that some may have used.
At Hastings Countdown around midday, just seven out of 100 used the Covid tracing app at the entrance. Six people opted to use the store's hand sanitiser.
It comes amid low usage of the app across New Zealand, with data revealing the number of daily scans on the tracer app has dropped from its peak of 2.5 million in September 2020 to around 500,000 in recent weeks.
It is possible those who attended the stores entered their activities manually or scanned on their way out.
Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the Hastings number did not surprise her as she had received a message over the holidays from a resident who was concerned about the low app usage they had seen around the city.
Eighteen new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in NZ in the past two days, all in managed isolation.
It comes as tough new travel regulations come into force for Kiwis returning from global covid hotspots as concerns mount over New Zealand's vulnerability to the most contagious strains to date.
With 76 active cases in managed isolation, including cases linked to the infectious variants circulating in South Africa and the United Kingdom, there are renewed calls by our top health official and scientists to not get complacent as we enjoy a summer break that is proving the envy of the world.
Just seven of a sample of 100 people entering Countdown in Hastings signed in. Photo / File
"Everyone needs to be aware that we are still in the middle of a pandemic and that the Covid app is incredibly important for us to be able to manage our way through this," Hazlehurst said.
"We've all got a bit complacent but with this new strain we need to be really vigilant."
She said using the app was important and people who do not use apps should be using the manual tracing available at stores.
Earlier, director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield warned that Kiwis could not afford to be complacent when it comes to using the app.
"We've seen how quickly the virus can spread," he said.
"We all have a responsibility to support contact tracing by keeping a record of our movements, either with the app or by another method such as a diary.
"When someone tests positive for Covid-19, the faster they can provide contact tracers with information about where they've been, the faster contact tracers can get ahead of the virus and break the chain of transmission."
The Ministry of Health's deputy drector-general data and digital, Shayne Hunter, said those who are routinely scanning and using the NZ COVID Tracer app are "helping New Zealand's response to COVID-19 and if there was an outbreak tomorrow, it would make contact tracing an easier task.
"We can't afford to get complacent – we've seen that despite our robust border controls the virus can emerge anywhere in the community at any time," Hunter said.
"It's incredibly important we all keep a record of where we have been. The more we do this the safer we'll all be. The NZ COVID Tracer app is one way to do this by scanning the governments QR code or through the manual entry option. It's also important people don't just wait until an outbreak. It's important to start recording because it helps with recall, especially when we may be moving around New Zealand more and more."
