Just 24 hours after the vaccine passport scheme officially came into force, the Covid passport app is to be changed for an updated one.
In a move set to cause confusion across Scotland, a NEW version of the app is to be launched in just a week’s time.
The news came just a day after the Covid passport scheme began to be enforced and is the latest in a series of issues with the scheme.
700,000 people have already downloaded the existing Covid Status app.
But in a public statement released on the Scottish Government’s website in the early hours of Tuesday morning, details of an update were revealed.
The announcement – uploaded to the Government’s website at 2.09 am – states the scheme is being updated from Thursday October 21.
What’s changing now?
A green tick is to replace the vaccination dates to minimise the amount of personal data being shared.
But it means both businesses and customers will need to download new versions of the apps just two weeks after the first one was launched and a day after enforcement began.
The timing and lack of communication has caused Dundee nightclub owner Tony Cochrane to again slam the scheme calling it a farce.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf commented: “Everyone who has the app should download the new version and those who don’t yet have the app should download it from their app store before they need to use it.
“I understand the night time industry has made major adjustments for the introduction of this scheme and other measures, but the sector has complied extraordinarily well with the regulations so far.
“This is a very limited scheme and we hope this will allow businesses to remain open and prevent any further restrictions as we head into autumn and winter.
“I also want to ensure that as many people get vaccinated as possible and particularly to increase uptake in the younger age cohort, so anything to incentivise that is helpful.”
‘A complete farce’
The current version of the Covid Status App will still continue to work until next week to allow people time to download the latest version.
Tony Cochrane said: “We just found it because someone saw it on the website – nobody has contacted us directly.
“On the website it says in seven days the app as it stands won’t work when you get to venues. It’s a complete farce.”
“We’re not trying to be clever here, we feel picked on.
“This is the last thing we needed. Folk won’t know about this, some might give up on going out. Or they’ll turn up at my door and we’re going to have to tell them to download something new.
‘We need better communication’
“I’m feeling a mix of frustration and anger – we need better communication. They should have given it a much bigger lead in time and communicated with the public.
“People don’t know about this and they’re fed up and confused.
“All this will achieve will be to close businesses down.”
It’s the latest in a catalogue of problems with the Covid Status App since its launch at the start of October.
The Covid Status App came under fire when it was launched as people struggled to download and access it.