New 'Covid tracer' software is launched

An innovative new ‘Covid Tracer’ has launched by Shropshire-based software specialists Shoothill with the sole aim of making it easier for pubs and restaurant owners to keep temporary records of their customers as advised by the government.

Thousands are expected to flock back to pubs and restaurants following the easing of lockdown restrictions in the hospitality sector.

However, for many business owners the additional task of collecting customers’ personal data will prove a challenge, particularly for small business owners who are unfamiliar with data protection responsibilities and law.

Many simply do not have the knowledge or systems in place to record customers’ personal details, Shoothill says.

In order to solve this problem, the Shropshire firm has developed ‘Covid Tracer’. The free to use, free to register website will allow any business to record their customers’ details for potential Covid-19 tracing in an easy and secure way.

How does it work?

• Businesses will register with Covid Tracer for free and are given a unique ID and a database.
• Pub, shop and restaurant owners will then be able to print off a PDF with a specific QR code for them to place in their premises
• Customers who enter the establishment will use their phone to scan the webform and fill it in with their basic details
• The details will be stored on the database for 21 days. If there is an outbreak of coronavirus then businesses can easily trace who was at their premises at that time

Rod Plummer, managing director of Shoothill, said “We all want and need to get the economy back up and running and the opening of pubs and restaurants this weekend is hopefully the beginning of a return to normality. 

"The Government advice on collecting data is not mandatory but if cases of coronavirus spike and businesses don’t at least try to promote some sort of tracing solution like this, then we could see towns and cities going back into lockdown very quickly.

"The problem right now is that no-one seems to know the answer as to how pubs and restaurants will be able to register who has been in their premises and so I suspect many will simply ignore the guidance.

"That is why we have created ‘Covid Tracer’ which solves this problem and eases the pain for both the business owner and the customer.”

Covid Tracer is a free to use, free to register service, for further information visit https://shoothillcovidtracer.com/