The UK Government have announced that the Test and Trace App, currently being trialed by residents on the Isle of Wight will be rolled out nationally on 24th September.
Launched on the Island on 13th August, at the end of the first week Managing Director of the App, Simon Thompson, claimed thousands of Islanders had installed the App on their phones – but didn’t offer any public proof.
How successful has it been?
News OnTheWight has been pursuing the stats on downloads, installs and detections since 21st August, but the Test and Trace Team have been very shy about sharing the figures.
The figures should be easily at hand, as they told us they would be keeping a keen eye on them.
Even MP blocked
It appears that even the Isle of Wight’s Conservative Isle of Wight MP, Bob Seely, has been locked out from receiving the stats.
News OnTheWight wrote to him eight days ago (Thursday 3rd) and asked, “Are you able to get answers to the questions below, or are they blocking you as well?”
On Friday he told us he’d, “submitted a request for the figures to the app team and will update as and when I receive them.”
Two days ago we followed up again with his office and heard from them that they were still awaiting answers and now, Friday afternoon – the day the Government announce the App will be rolled out to the country – there is still no sign of the stats.
Ignoring Islanders
As businesses across the country are being urged to prepare for the national rollout of the App, the success – or otherwise – of the trial on the Isle of Wight is still a mystery.
News OnTheWight’s questions are a matter of public interest, so why aren’t they being answered?
Image: garryknight under CC BY 2.0
