Covid card developers inundatedwith feedback
Developers behind the Covid card trial in the Rotorua suburb of Ngongotaha¯ have revealed women led the way with females accounting for 63 per cent of the trial’s 1270 participants.
The wearable, Bluetoothpowered contact-tracing card, developed by the Te Arawa
Covid-19 Response Hub, was launched by Minister for Government of Digital Services Kris Faafoi and Response Hub kaumatua Sir Toby Curtis on October 29.
The trial, which ran between November 9-16, found 44 per cent of participants were NZ European, 43 per cent Ma¯ori and
13 per cent from other ethnicities. More females than males signed up for the trial at 63 per cent of participants, while baby boomers and Generation X’ers were the age groups most likely to take part.
Response Hub spokesperson, Monty Morrison, said people from all walks of life within the Ngongotaha¯ community committed to the trial, wearing the cards to work, to the shops and at a local tangi.
People wearing the cards were spotted across Rotorua, in Tauranga and as far south asWellington. ‘‘This community has been extremely committed to the trial, and we are grateful for their participation and contribution to
Aotearoa’s fight against Covid-19. We would not have had such a successful trial without local hapu¯ and community support,’’ Morrison said.
‘‘The up-take is a genuine reflection of the community make-up, and a real understanding of the need for additional contact tracing tools that will suit all walks of life, not just those with a smartphone.’’
Ngongotaha¯, like many other communities in New Zealand, is made up of vulnerable people who, for one reason or another, don’t have access to a smartphone that supports the Government’s contact tracing app or feel confident using the technology. Morrison said Te Arawa believes a contact tracing device would be a critical addition to the toolbox.