SCOTLAND'S coronavirus contact tracing app is now compatible with similar systems in England, Wales, and Gibraltar.
More than 1.5 million people have already downloaded the Protect Scotland app to their smartphones.
At least 13,000 people have been contacted to let them know they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
Users are urged to keep the app active on their phone if they travel to other parts of the UK, allowing the different systems to connect to each other.
The "interoperability" with England, Wales and Gibraltar comes a few weeks after the Scotland system was made compatible with the StopCOVID NI app as well Jersey COVID Alert.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: "The Protect Scotland app is a vital tool in helping suppressing Covid-19 and I welcome that the app now works with the English and Welsh NHS Covid-19 app, as well as Beat Covid Gibraltar.
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"This follows on from interoperability being achieved with apps in Northern Ireland and Jersey and is an important step in helping further reduce the spread of the virus.
"While people are being advised to only travel for essential purposes at the moment, this compatibility will allow those having to travel to continue to be alerted via the Protect Scotland app if they have been in close contact with a positive Covid-19 case."
She added: "More than 1.5 million people have downloaded Protect Scotland since it was launched last month and more than 13,000 people have been contacted via the app to let them know they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
"This allows people to self-isolate quickly if they have been exposed to the virus, reducing the risk of them infecting others.
"We also know that not everyone uses a smartphone or will be able to or want to access the app, which is why this software is very much there to complement existing contact tracing methods."
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