Coronavirus app has changed the way the Isle of Wight sees itself
Islanders are coming to terms with unexpected publicity from the contact-tracing pilot project
Last Sunday, we woke to the news that the Isle of Wight really had been chosen as the pilot location for the NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app, the idea having been floated by the leader of the council at the start of the previous week.
Thus a manic week began here at News OnTheWight, where we've been pumping out stories as usual, taking part in national media briefings, delving into details of the app and exploring privacy issues while dealing with queries from media outlets from around the world. All sorts of organisations started pushing press releases supporting the app - the most unexpected being the Church of England.
When Matt Hancock, the health secretary, announced at last Monday's press conference, Where the Isle of Wight goes, Britain follows", there was a collective spitting out of tea on the island and beyond. Of course there were the predictable jibes - How do I install the app on my fax machine?" was one of the best we heard, and once again, creativity was ignited with memes and T-shirts.
With such attention, locally it felt like little else but the app was discussed.
How has the app gone down? Lots of people seem to be jumping on board, claiming any perceived privacy downsides as a small price to pay. Others, with earlier smartphones, were excluded. Older residents overheard in the post office said they really wanted to use the app but their steam-powered mobile phones weren't capable.