Isle Of Wight Contact Tracing App Trial To Launch This Week

Sunday, 3 May 2020 15:57

An NHS contact tracing app, “alerting people if they've been near somebody who is later diagnosed with having coronavirus", will be trialled on the Isle of Wight from this week, it has been revealed. Speaking to Sky News this morning (Sunday), Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the Island is the first place in the country where the new app will be used. As first reported by Isle of Wight Radio, if successful here the program will be rolled out across the country. Mr Shapps told Sky News’ Sophie Ridge: "Later in the month, that app will be rolled out and deployed [UK Wide]- assuming the tests are successful, of course - to the population at large. "The idea is we will encourage as many people to take this up as possible. "It's going to be a huge national effort. "We need for this to work, 50% to 60% of people to be using this app." It has previously been suggested that areas that trial the contact-tracing app could also have coronavirus lockdown measures eased earlier. However, the Island’s conservative administration distanced themselves from the claims, ruling out anything which could potentially put lives at risk. Read more here. Speaking exclusively to Isle of Wight Radio earlier this month, the Island’s MP Bob Seely said he welcomes the news of an app trial here. He said: “The Island’s got a fantastic reputation for innovation, stretching back a couple of centuries now, lots of great science was done on the Island and some fantastic ideas were piloted here and even now we do really amazing work. “If I can get schemes piloted on here like apps to make people’s lives safer and if it’s good for the Island and it’s good for the country, bring it on.”