Coronavirus App Isle of Wight Trial

NHS's coronavirus contact-tracing app now available in Apple and Google's app stores.

06:51 06 May 2020

Isle of Wight residents will be able to download NHS's coronavirus contact-tracing app from Apple and Google's store app starting on Thursday. The app, which is intended to supplement medical tests and manual contact-tracing, will be available to council staff and healthcare workers on Tuesday, ahead of a wider roll-out on the island. 

 

NHSX, the health service's digital innovation unit, says the use of the app will be voluntary and only personal data stored at the start will be the first part of the user's postcode. Amidst privacy concerns raised ahead of the rollout, the NSHX reiterated that additional location data will only be recorded if users agree to a further opt-in request. 

 

Addressing Isle of Wight residents, Health Secretary Matt Hancock, said: "Please download the app to protect the NHS and save lives.

 

"By downloading the app, you're protecting your own health, you're protecting the health of your loved ones, and the health of the community." 

 

The app works by detecting two people's smartphones that are in close contact with each other. If one person later registers themselves as being infected, all the owners of smartphones that were registered to be in close contact with them will be sent an alert advising them to either self-isolate or seek medical attention if they are experiencing symptoms. 

 

The Isle of Wight trial will help the NHSX determine how the system works in practice and how willing a population is to install and use the software.