Trial begins for new contact tracing app while government’s top scientists are questioned by MPs
7.30am BST
Isle of Wight Tory MP, Bob Seely, urged people in his constituency to back the new coronavirus contact-tracing app being piloted on the island.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said:
I think there is a great deal of interest. Talking to the experts and the scientists, anything above 20% and 25% gives us decent and good data.
The exponential benefit hits when you get about 50%, or near that, and then, effectively, you can trace the virus. Then, by helping those people with it, we starve the virus of other people to infect and the virus dies out.
7.26am BST
Welcome to our UK coronavirus live blog. Council and NHS workers on the Isle of Wight will be the first to try out the new contact tracing app as the trial on the island gets under way on Tuesday
If successful the app will be rolled out across the UK as ministers hope will form a key part of their strategy for easing the lockdown.