With the government’s planned loosening of restrictions in relation to social isolating a new game is emerging – that of Hide and Seek from COVID-19. Everyone who lives in Australia is being encouraged to play the game of Hide and Seek in order to stay ‘safe’.
The game is officially called COVIDSafe and in order to play you must download the game on an app, then register your name, mobile number, postcode and age range. Once you have done this you are given a unique encrypted reference player code.
Once players are in place your personal device recognises another player and notes the date, time, distance and duration of contact you have with this player. This continues at all times you are carrying your device and your device is checked daily to make sure you are playing correctly.
If another player that you have been in contact with in the last 21 days gets found by COVID-19, then an alarm is sounded at Game Headquarters to tell all the players in that person’s device that they have may been exposed and consequently found by COVID-19. No specific details are given of which player set off the alarm and was found.
The aim of the game is to stay hidden from COVID-19 so if you have been exposed then you too could have been found. To know whether you have been found or not once you reach stage 2 you are given warning signs to look out for.
Depending on whether you have been found or not, you either go back to Stage 1 or continue on to Stage 3. To enter stage 3 you must be tested positive to having been found. You will then trigger an alarm and all the players that you have been in contact with in the last 21 days will be notified and on it goes….
Unfortunately the game ends if a player gets sick or worse, is destroyed, or until COVID-19 is kept permanently under control or cannot harm any more players. But anyone can join the game at any time until this occurs.
Remember the aim of the game is to stay safe and not be found but you can choose whether to play or not. Either way the game does not replace personal responsibility to stop the spread of COVID-19 to all the people you come into contact with. Best practice remains to continue good hygiene, maintain a safe distance from others outside your normal household and avoid large gatherings until you are notified the game is over.