Village of Life issued the following on Dec. 20
Want COVID updates? There’s an app for that
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced the statewide launch of CA Notify — a new digital tool he said will help reduce the transmission of COVID-19.
Starting Dec. 10, Californians could opt in to receive COVID-19 notifications informing them if they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus.
“Throughout this pandemic we have tapped California’s talent pool to fight this virus and that includes working with tech innovators like Apple and Google,” said Newsom. “CA Notify will help slow the spread by alerting those who opt in to receive an alert if they’ve come into contact with someone who has tested positive. The process is private, anonymous and secure, and is one of the many tools in the state’s data-driven approach to help reduce the spread.”
CA Notify is a digital tool that protects privacy and security and does not collect device location to detect exposure and does not share a users’ identities, according to Newsom’s press release.
The tool was developed in partnership with Google and Apple and piloted with the help of the University of California, San Diego, and the University of California, San Francisco.
Californians can receive alerts by enabling CA Notify in their iPhone settings or on Android phones by downloading the CA notify app from the Google Play store. When individuals voluntarily activate CA Notify, the tool uses Bluetooth technology to exchange random codes between phones without revealing the user’s identity or location.
If a CA Notify user tests positive for COVID-19, they will receive a verification code text from the California Department of Public Health at (855)-976-8462 to plug into the app — if they choose. Any other CA Notify users who have been within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more of the COVID-19 positive individual will get an anonymous notification of possible exposure. They can enter the code into CA Notify, triggering an alert to phones of people who may have been exposed in the previous 14 days.
“When combined with other actions like wearing masks and physical distancing, CA Notify can help curb the transmission of COVID-19,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Department of Health and Human Services. “Every day that is saved in alerting others of a possible exposure is a day that a possibly infectious person can begin self-quarantine and reduce the spread. This technology is another way for Californians to take proactive steps to keep themselves, their loved ones and their communities safe.”
The state launched a pilot in September for students, staff and faculty at UC San Diego and UC San Francisco, expanding to include five other University of California campuses in mid-November.
“Our pilot experience … showed this technology was effective in identifying exposed individuals early for quarantine and testing, and helping keep our communities as safe as possible,” said Christopher Longhurst, MD, chief information officer of UC San Diego Health. “This free and reliable smartphone technology can help all Californians. As we enter a new, and hopefully final, surge in the pandemic, now more than ever is the time to put every possible tool to use to slow the spread of the virus.”
Given the privacy-first focus of CA Notify, creators of the app do not know how many students, faculty, staff and patients have enabled CA Notify currently, but UC officials estimate more than 250,000 people are utilizing this technology as part of the pilot. CA Notify has helped identify exposed individuals early, allowing them to quickly quarantine and reduce the transmission of the virus. The performance and privacy of CA Notify has been successfully evaluated through the pilot project and similar programs have been launched in other states, according to the governor’s office.
“With the rapid surge of COVID-19 cases, we need every tool possible to protect our communities. We applaud the State for expanding this scalable system so all people living in California have another means of being informed of potential exposures as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Carrie L. Byington, executive vice president of UC Health and an infectious disease expert. “We are glad that University of California Health could be a resource for the pilot testing and now for the management of the expansion.”
CA Notify is completely voluntary and free. For more information visit CaNotify.ca.gov and Covid19.ca.gov.
Original source can be found here
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