Scotland Covid app suffers technical issues hours after launch

1 October 2021, 13:39

The NHS Scotland Covid passport app has been plagued by technical issues, hours after its launch on Thursday evening.

Many users who downloaded the covid status app, which confirms a person's vaccination status, complained of issues verifying their identity.

The Scottish Conservatives are now once again calling for the covid passport scheme to be delayed due to the technical problems, which emerged after the app was released at 5.00pm last night.

The party has previously criticised the covid passport scheme at First Minister's Questions.

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The Night Time Industries Association Scotland has also pushed back against the scheme, but their request for delay was rejected by the courts yesterday.

Leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross has again called for a delay, saying he fears a "weekend of chaos" if the government pushes ahead with plans to make using the app a condition of entry to nightclubs and large events.

Images of the app's issues have emerged across social media, with many users sharing photos of the app telling them there is no match found for their information, or that the app cannot recognise their face.

One Twitter user questioned whether the Scottish government would still require it for large events such as football matches.

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Scottish Conservative leader Mr Ross said: "The SNP Government has just a few hours to act quickly and prevent a weekend of chaos at venues across Scotland.

"This plan should really be scrapped altogether but if the SNP insist on charging ahead, they must indefinitely delay the vaccine passport scheme until the most basic issues are ironed out.

"Nicola Sturgeon must go back to the drawing board. This is becoming an omnishambles - the SNP's scheme is lurching from one issue to the next, all at the very last minute."

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SNP Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: "We know from expert public health analysis that we must do all we can to stem the rise in cases and reduce the pressure on the NHS.

"Vaccine certificates have a role to play as part of a wider package of measures. They add a further layer of protection in certain higher risk settings.

"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."

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Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie described the launch of the app as a "complete shambles."

She added: "It is typical of the SNP to rush this out when it clearly doesn't work.

"This is embarrassing for the Scottish Government, they need to get a grip and fix the app urgently."

Yesterday Scotland recorded 2,911 new cases of coronavirus.