Confusion surrounding an update to the Covid passport app will “only add to the chaos customers and businesses are already facing”, say MSPs.
The Scottish Government revealed in a public statement published on its website at 2.09am on Tuesday morning that users should update the vaccine certification app.
Concerns have been raised that the announcement, which came just a day after the Covid passport scheme came into force, will cause “further confusion and frustration” for users and businesses this weekend.
The changes will ensure a green tick replaces the dates of vaccination currently displayed on the app in a bid to reduce the amount of personal information which is shared.
It affects both the verifier app which businesses use to check vaccine status and the personal NHS Covid status app which allows the public access to venues and premises.
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s Health and Covid Recovery spokeswoman, claimed the updates will “only add to the chaos that customers and businesses are facing”.
She added: “An update won’t fix this shambolic system. The SNP must accept the scheme has failed and scrap it for good.”
The NHS Scotland Covid status app can be updated from October 21 via the app store but it may take up to an hour for the certificate to come through after the update is carried out.
The current version of the app will continue to work until next week, allowing people time to download the latest version.
After that all users will have to download the update in order to access venues covered by the scheme..
‘Further confusion and frustration’
Scottish Conservative Covid recovery spokesman, Murdo Fraser said the new updates are “guaranteed to cause further confusion and frustration for users and businesses this weekend”.
He added: “The SNP Government promised that their vaccine passport app would be ready by the end of September.
“The app was broken on launch, and night time businesses described scenes of chaos and confusion in the first weekend of the scheme.
“Now the SNP have quietly launched updates to their apps for both businesses and customers, to fix data privacy issues with the existing app.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton criticised the manner in which the announcement was made in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
He said: “Businesses should not have to be monitoring the government’s website for 2am updates to find out what is expected of them.
“It’s no way to run a business and a ridiculous way to run a country.
“Covid ID cards have been a prime example of government overreach. What’s worst is they won’t keep anyone safe because it’s so easy for people to cheat the system.
“The government should be ploughing resources into the things we know do help to stop the spread: vaccines and a robust contact tracing system.”
‘Nobody has contacted us directly’
The timing and lack of communication caused nightclub owner Tony Cochrane – who owns venues in Dundee and Aberdeen – to slam the scheme, calling it a “farce”.
He said the only reason he found out about the update was because someone he knows saw it on the government website but that “nobody has contacted us directly”.
However, the Scottish Government said “most businesses that are required to update the NHS Covid Check app have done so already” and that “further sectoral engagement” was ongoing on Thursday in a bid to reach more businesses.
A government spokeswoman added: “Covid-19 certification is a proportionate way of encouraging people to get vaccinated, and also of helping large events and night-time hospitality to keep operating during what will potentially be a very difficult winter.
“The scheme has been operating well for many businesses and events, including recent large football events.
“This means many businesses will not have to close and can continue to trade whilst making necessary adjustments to ensure their premises are as safe as possible for staff and customers.
“Officials and ministers have engaged regularly with the sector to discuss implementation of the scheme.
“This is in addition to a range of proactive communications through relevant sectoral organisations and bodies.”