Holidaymakers heading to the Isle of Wight and Islanders crossing the Solent with Wightlink this weekend are enthusiastically welcoming the latest trial of the new NHS Test and Trace smartphone app.
App Ambassadors are on board the Portsmouth-Fishbourne car ferries Victoria of Wight and St Clare and at Portsmouth Harbour FastCat terminal from Thursday 27th August to Bank Holiday Monday. They have been talking to travellers about its contract tracing technology and encouraging them to download it.
Visitors and residents alike can use the NHS QR ‘check-in’ feature at Island venues, such as pubs, restaurants and attractions, which are displaying the NHS QR poster.
Onboard Ambassador John Hirst says the first day was very successful:
“Almost everyone we have spoken to so far has been very receptive and keen to get involved.
“The App is an important tool in the fight against coronavirus and part of the Government’s wider campaign to combat Covid-19. This trial will help us understand how people are interacting with the App, ahead of its national roll-out.”
Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield, says:
“We are pleased to support the NHS Test and Trace App by welcoming the ambassadors over the Bank Holiday and we encourage everyone to find out more about it.
Article continues below this advertisement “It is important that visitors take part in the Island initiative to reduce the spread of Covid-19 by improving contact tracing.”
Isle of Wight Council Leader, Dave Stewart, says:“I am pleased to support the re-introduction of the App and the widening of its availability to visitors to our Island.
“I have downloaded it myself and I would encourage everyone that can to do so as well. The Island has led on the development of the App and can now support Government as it moves towards a national Track and Trace system.”
App Ambassadors are also working with Red Funnel and Hovertravel to spread the word about the initiative and have leaflets containing the unique codes needed to download the App. Visitors who use the App while on the Island can continue to use it when they return home.
We have relatives travelled on RF today, to the island, nobody mentioned the App to them, so why is it only being promoted at Wightklink. Kind of a wasted effort if only half the tourists are contacted.
Red funnel too busy trying to get people on board I suppose with their ferry out of service at bank holiday!
Terry maybe it means that on ALL the other crossings were not as positive in response.
quote”“Almost everyone we have spoken to so far has been very receptive and keen to get involved.” – notice the ‘Almost’ you can bet that word has had smoke blown up it
If you don’t talk to people you will not get the negative answer you are trying to avoid.
And what about jHub’s involvement.
There was someone going round to the cars at RF in Southampton giving out leaflets with information about the app
I smell propaganda, app ambassadors and not app advisors or maybe just staff promoting the app, Ambassadors, jeez what next ‘Diplomatic toilet cleaners’
They do sound rather desperate to get this app out there and tested.
Wonders why?
Still no official number of downloads from Island residents.
But why?
Will really confuse the system when holiday makers return home.
Big mistake!
I have a iPhone 6 and it’s not compatible with the app
Maybe it would be better to support us islanders with this to simply not come here, especially the scooterists with all those fumes, where are the Green Party who are usually against pollution.