Contact-tracing app use mandatory from March 1

All staff and visitors who enter government buildings will be required to use the government’s contact-tracing app, LeaveHomeSafe from March 1, or register their personal information – a move the administration admits may lengthen waiting times for various services.

A government spokesman said in a statement that the new requirement is aimed at helping authorities track down anyone potentially exposed to Covid-19, and better protect public sector workers and members of the public.

It said staff will start ‘reminding’ people to use the app starting on February 22, to get them accustomed to the new arrangement.

“As a result of the arrangement, the waiting time for public services or entering the relevant premises may be lengthened, we appeal for the understanding of members of the public,” the spokesman said.

Authorities on Wednesday announced that public services would resume fully on February 18 after the Lunar New Year holiday, providing the coronavirus situation doesn’t deteriorate before then.

The app was introduced in November to a lukewarm public response, amid privacy concerns that have been dismissed by the government.

After people check in at places they visit by scanning a QR code, the system would alert them if they were at the same location as a confirmed Covid-19 patient.

The spokesman urged people to download the app as soon as possible and to use it regularly to record where they go.