How did Covid tracing tech fare in NZ?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-11-07 00:01

New Zealand

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Public health and tech experts have looked back at how well three digital contact tracing technologies worked in NZ during the Covid-19 pandemic, finding online self-service surveys to be the most helpful. While Kiwis frequently used QR codes and Bluetooth to record their movements, contact tracers didn't routinely use that data. Tracers said in focus groups they had reservations about the technology's effectiveness and the process had too many manual steps. Meanwhile, online self-service surveys, which were rolled out in 2022, were surprisingly effective because people filled them out quickly and contacts were quickly notified. To work well next time, the team says these technologies need to be easier to use, more trusted and accessible and deployed where it makes the most difference.

Media release

From: Pasifika Medical Association Group

Digital contact tracing (DCT) means using phones and online forms, like QR code check-ins, Bluetooth proximity logs or web surveys, to help find and warn people who might have been exposed to COVID-19 or other infectious diseases. In New Zealand, lots of people used these tools, but the QR and Bluetooth features didn’t deliver as much as hoped because the data weren’t routinely used by contact tracers and the process had too many manual steps. The online self- service form worked best: people filled it out quickly, and contacts were notified fast and at scale. To work well next time, DCT needs to be easier to use, more trusted and accessible (especially for priority communities) and deployed where it makes the most difference, during fast-moving outbreaks or when manual tracing is overloaded.

Journal/
conference: New Zealand Medical Journal

Organisation/s: Koi Tū: the Centre for Informed Futures, University of Canterbury, University of Otago, Massey University, University of Waikato, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

Funder: The Ministry of Health provided grant funding to support this project under the COVID-19 and National Immunisation Programme research fund.

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