Covid self-isolation rules explained ahead of August Bank Holiday

A total of 261,453 alerts were sent to users of the app for England and Wales in the week to August 11, down by 18% on the previous week when 317,519 were pinged.

The latest Government figures cover the first full week when the “logic” behind the tool was tweaked to alert fewer people who have been in close contact with someone that tested positive for coronavirus.

Downing Street has previously said it is “crucial” that people self-isolate after receiving an alert from the NHS Covid-19 app.

But if you are pinged ahead of August Bank Holiday, do you need to self-isolate?

Downing Street say it is "crucial" to self-isolate when pinged by the NHS Covid-19 app. (PA)

Do I legally have to isolate if I have been contacted by the app?

It has never been a legal requirement to obey the app’s instructions, the official NHS guidance has been that people should “self-isolate immediately” when told to.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: “Isolation remains the most important action people can take to stop the spread of the virus.

“Given the risk of having and spreading the virus when people have been in contact with someone with Covid, it is crucial people isolate when they are told to do so, either by NHS Test and Trace or by the NHS Covid app.

“Businesses should be supporting employees to isolate, they should not be encouraging them to break isolation.”

So, the app is only advisory, although it is strongly recommended that you self-isolate when told to do so, there is no legal requirement for people to follow its guidance.

However, if you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace you are legally obliged to self-isolate when told to do so.

How does the app work?

The NHS Covid-19 app uses Bluetooth technology which will determine whether a phone has been within close proximity to another phone using the app for more than 15 minutes.

The app then alerts users when their phone registers that it has been in close contact with the phone of someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.

If you use the Covid-19 app and you have been told to self-isolate it will provide a countdown of days until it is safe for you to end your period of isolation.

Bear in mind, the time period given by the app is only advisory, while if Test and Trace has told you to isolate you are legally obliged to do so.

Boris Johnson is currently self-isolating after being in close contact with Health Secretary Sajid Javid. (PA)

When do I have to self-isolate?

Under current rules set out by the government there are six scenarios which would require you to self-isolate.

If you test positive for the virus you will be required to self-isolate for the next 10 full days.

If you do not have symptoms or test positive but you have been in contact with someone who has, as per the guidance above, you will also be told to self-isolate for 10 days.

Isolation rules loosened for "small number" of critical workers

Isolation rules have been relaxed for a “small number” of fully-vaccinated critical workers who are identified as close contacts of coronavirus cases, Boris Johnson has said after coming under sustained pressure over the “pingdemic”.

Boris Johnson escribed self-isolation as “one of the few shots we have got left in our locker”, on Monday when he scrapped most remaining legal restrictions and defended the timing, despite cases soaring.

Speaking in the Commons, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi gave more details on the incoming exemption for self-isolation, which already covers frontline NHS staff and social care workers.

Mr Zahawi said the change would cover the police, air traffic controllers and train signallers, and others in “circumstances where there would be a serious risk of harm to public welfare if people in critical roles are unable to go to their workplace”.

“So people in those kinds of roles, who have received two vaccinations plus two weeks beyond the second vaccine, will not need to self-isolate for those critical tasks,” he added.