First minister backs Borders MSP’s plea for phone rule change to allow app to protect staff from virus

Borders MSP Christine Grahame’s plea for retail and hospitality bosses to allow staff to keep their phones on them during shifts to improve the efficiency of the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 tracing app is being backed by first minister Nicola Sturgeon.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon launching the Protect Scotland app on September 10. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)First Minister Nicola Sturgeon launching the Protect Scotland app on September 10. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon launching the Protect Scotland app on September 10. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Employees working in bars, hotels and shops are often banned from carrying phones around with them and instead asked to leave them in their lockers, but Ms Grahame fears such policies rob them of the protection afforded by the app, launched on September 10, and is asking for them to be relaxed in a bid to try to curb the spread of coronavirus.

“Well over a million people have now downloaded the Protect Scotland app, which is fantastic, but for it to work, people need to actually have their phones on them when they’re in busy public places,” said the Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale MSP.

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“Customer service staff, like those in our shops and pubs are on the front line spending many hours with the general public.

“I welcome employers providing them with personal protective equipment, but this does not completely negate the risk. Allowing them to have the app running during working hours adds an extra layer of protection and reassurance for both themselves and customers.

“The app is passive, so employers can, of course, request that the phone is on silent and isn’t taken out of a pocket during shift. Doing this will not therefore have any impact on staff’s ability to work.

“I’m glad the first minister has confirmed she agrees that employers should be taking a flexible approach to this and allowing staff to carry phones for the sake of public health.”

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Ms Grahame secured that backing after raising the issue at the Scottish Parliament last Thursday, September 24, with Ms Sturgeon telling her: “I strongly agree with that suggestion.

“I stress that, for individuals, downloading and using the app is voluntary, but I strongly encourage people to do so.

“Almost 1.2 million people in Scotland have downloaded it.

“Such apps are important ways of extending the reach of our test and protect systems.

“I ask all employers to actively promote the app and, crucially, to address Christine Grahame’s point, to enable staff to carry their phones with them, particularly in environments such as supermarkets, where staff have lots of contact with customers and clients. That is extremely important.

“We have created a dedicated stakeholder page on the protect.scot website to help employers to raise awareness of the app, and I encourage all employers to make use of that.”