The RACGP and AMA have urged members to download the Federal Government’s COVID-19 contact-tracing app, arguing its public health benefit should trump any concerns about privacy.

The COVIDSafe app, released on Sunday evening, uses Bluetooth to identify when two people spend more than 15 minutes within 1.5 metres of each other, with the idea of creating a list of contacts who can be identified if a user catches COVID-19.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt says the app will only be used to track close contacts of those who have downloaded it onto their phones and that all of the records are deleted on a rolling 21-day basis.

But if somebody with the app is diagnosed with COVID-19, they will be asked for permission to release their data to public health authorities, who can then quickly call these close contacts to tell them to self-isolate and talk to a doctor, he says.