You will be hard pushed to have not heard the news that this week the Government are rolling out their Coronavirus Contact Tracing App on the Isle of Wight.
The App will be made available to Island residents on Thursday (7th May) as part of the Government’s strategy to fight the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19). This programme will be run in addition to all the other social distancing measures already in place, and not a replacement for them.
We have compiled an FAQ for the NHSX Coronavirus Contact Tracing App.
What happens next?
Later this week everyone on the Isle of Wight will be written to by post with an invitation to download the App.
The data from the App will be used to fine tune it before the App is rolled out across the country, so the more people who use it, the more effective it will be when it’s rolled out to the rest of the country.
Those most strongly encouraged to use the App are key workers who are out and about every day.
How it works
The full details of how it works are here – ‘How to set up and use NHSX Coronavirus Contact Tracing App‘ – in summary it works like this:
- You load the App
- Bluetooth monitors who you come close to
- Info is stored on your handset
- If you fall ill you report this to the App
- The data gathered on phone will be shared with NHSX
- You’ll be sent a testing kit
- Others NHSX judge to be at risk will then be alerted
Seely: “This is absolutely a win-win”
This is the second phase of rollout for the App (which has been over six weeks in the making) following a trial at RAF base in Yorkshire, and prior to rollout across the country.
At a media briefing this morning, Isle of Wight MP, Bob Seely, said,
“The really exciting thing is that providing the Island supports this, as I hope they are going to, if we get 50 per cent of mobile phone users on the Island to download this App, there’s a chance we can kill this virus on the Isle of Wight before anywhere else in the UK – and that’s the big win for us.
“The big win for the nation is that they take our information and that helps to drive a successful version of the App that gets rolled out nationally.
“This is absolutely a win-win and I’m really looking forward to this, it can’t start soon enough.”
Stewart: “Helping the nation to fight Coronavirus”
Leader of the council, Dave Stewart, said,
“This is about keeping our community safe, but also enables our Island to be a key part, and receive the benefit of, this digital development. We are helping the nation to fight Coronavirus.
“We’re doing the right thing and we’re doing the thing right.”
Seely: “It’s about saving lives”
Bob finished by saying,
“This is about saving life, not risking it. There are issues that have to be overcome, but we can’t live like this and we need a way out of the Coronavirus puzzle.”
Coronavirus Contact Tracing App
The NHSX Coronavirus Contact Tracing App was launched on the Isle of Wight in the first week of May 2020. The App is the first phase of the new ‘test, track and trace’ programme, aimed at reducing the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19).
To download the App follow this link in your phone’s Web browser
Background reading
Coronavirus Contact Tracing App on the Isle of Wight: What you need to know | FAQ: NHSX Coronavirus Contact Tracing App | How to setup and use NHSX Coronavirus Contact Tracing App | In-depth explanation of how it works is available |Podcast with IW Council leader pitching the Island for the pilot
