Covid-19: High-stakes virus app test puts sleepy UK island in spotlight

A UK National Health Service employee shows a smartphone displaying the new NHS app to trace contacts with people potentially infected with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) being trialled on Isle of Wight, Britain. There have already been some hiccups. Some users on the Isle of Wight, including those who work in the island’s care homes or large prison, aren’t allowed to carry phones at work. — Reuters

A small island off Britain’s south coast is trialling the country’s virus-tracing smartphone app, before it’s rolled out over the next few days to track the pandemic nationwide. There have already been some hiccups.

Some users on the Isle of Wight, including those who work in the island’s care homes or large prison, aren’t allowed to carry phones at work. Android users are being asked to grant permission for location data, even though the app claims not to use it. Older users may not have up-to-date smartphones, while one user declined to download the app because she doesn’t trust the government’s assurances on data.