A wearable Covid card has been given a big thumbs up by those trialling it, saying it's easy to use, particularly those who aren't tech-savvy.
The Eftpos-sized card makes it easier to track when you've come into contact with an infected person, all you have to do is pop it around your neck and let technology do its thing.
A total of 1,270 people - and a near even split between Māori and NZ European participants - signed up for the Ngongotahā Covid contact tracing card trial this month.
“Māori are going to be 50 per cent more susceptible to the effects of Covid-19 than non-Māori. It's sobering … a lot of our most susceptible don't have access to a cellphone,” Monty Morrison of Te Arawa Covid-19 Response Hub told Seven Sharp.
“If they do, the smartphone's old, and they really don't know how to download it and then be able to use that smartphone technology.
“It was important for us to be involved simply because there would be some good learnings and good outcomes, not only for our community but some good outcomes that could be recommended if it's used throughout the country,” Morrison said of the cards.
It's Bluetooth-enabled and works by exchanging a signal with other people wearing them within a few metres.
The card doesn't track your location it simply records close contacts.
Morrison says the response to the card has been that it’s “super easy to use”.
He hopes the cards will be adopted as an alternative for those less tech-savvy.
“We will continue to engage with Government around how alternative contact tracing tools can be deployed across Aotearoa, so that we can ensure comprehensive coverage across all communities.”
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