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Isle Of Wight COVID App 'Pings' Fall By Nearly 30%

Sky News (C).

Fewer than a thousand Islanders were 'pinged' by the NHS COVID-19 app in the week to August 4.

NHS England figures show the number of alerts sent to Isle of Wight users of the app fell by nearly 30 per cent.

In the week to August 4 there were just 957 'pings' - a fall of 400 compared to the previous week.

Alerts were sent to people who have been in ‘close contact’ with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.

In those seven days, 442 people were contacted by Government test and trace teams, separate Department of Health figures show.

During that period, 60 Islanders used the app to report symptoms of the virus, and just 6,966 people checked-in to venues using the NHS QR codes - a 61 per cent drop compared with the previous seven days.

A fall in app pings appears to be a national trend. Just over 317,000 alerts were issued in the last seven days - a fall of 20 percent. 

From Monday August 16, people who are fully vaccinated will no longer have to isolate when identified as a close contact of someone who has COVID-19 - but there have been calls for this change to be brought forward.

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