Trof, the York-based tech firm that provided restaurants with an essential table service app during the UK’s lockdown, is partnering with a Government approved lateral flow test manufacturer to develop a new testing, verification, and reporting app. It will enable businesses to reopen with confidence as restrictions are eased over the coming months. Entrd enables individuals and organisations to purchase lateral flow test kits and track results, offering a more feasible alternative to vaccination passports.

Through the Entrd app, UK businesses and the general public are able to order Government approved, CE marked lateral flow tests, delivered direct to the home within 48 hours. The app instructs users on how to carry out the tests, and accurately tracks the viral status of the user. Where the result is negative, the app generates a tamper-resistant e-pass in the form of a scannable QR code, providing a secure way for employers, restaurants, care homes, schools, hotels, and entertainment venues to quickly check the status of staff and customers, allowing these industries to operate with confidence.

An enterprise solution also allows business users to procure their own tests and still use the Entrd app to manage testing and results for employees, service users and customers.

Early testing of the solution suggests 99.9% accuracy in test grading, which is expected to increase to 99.999% as further enhancements are introduced.

Pritesh Chauhan, Entrd Commercial Director, says, “We are very excited and proud to announce our new service Entrd which we anticipate will play a significant role in the return to normal life. We are particularly excited to see Entrd become a key solution for our entertainment and sporting institutions that have been heavily affected by the UK’s lockdown measures, providing them with a safe and secure pathway back to fully populated venues.

“Our product has been built from the ground up to tackle some of the biggest challenges that COVID-19 has presented. We believe that accurately understanding the infection status of individuals is the only sure way to prevent the spread of the disease and our aim is to make it easier than ever to share viral status in the quickest, most secure way. We have put security at the forefront of the product design, leveraging the latest machine learning technologies to ensure that reported results are accurate and tamper proof.”

Entrd is being introduced as a more realistic alternative to controversial and contentious vaccine passports, which are being viewed as unethical and discriminatory by many. Entrd has assessed the legal and civil liberty ramifications of such a scheme, as well as its effectiveness, concluding that vaccination passports may fail to achieve what the Government wants to see from the programme. While the COVID-19 vaccine is effective at boosting the body’s ability to fight the virus, it does little to ensure the prevention of spread. Regular testing remains imperative to slowing continued viral spreading.

The Entrd app aims to address this concern by using rapid lateral flow testing which can identify small viral loads in those displaying with no symptoms of the virus. The test is easy to self-administer, using a swab to take a sample from the tonsils or the nose. These tests do not require laboratory processing, and an accurate result can be obtained in as little as 30 minutes.

Trof is certainly no stranger to supporting businesses during times of crisis, having developed a highly successful low cost table service solution that was instrumental in facilitating the safe reopening of bars and restaurants last summer. Entrd is striving to follow the success of Trof by helping to ensure a successful return to normal life without masks and distancing, including the re-opening of beloved activities where these mitigations are not possible.