Statewide phone-based virus-exposure tracking system to be available across CA Thursday
Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced a statewide cell-phone-based system designed to notify residents when they've been exposed to COVID-19.
The CA Notify system was originally developed at UC San Diego and UC
San Francisco, and it has been deployed on a trial basis on seven UC campuses, with an estimated 250,000 people opting in to participate, Newsom said.
The system relies on Bluetooth technology that detects when a person
is in close proximity to others, thanks to anonymous signals transmitted among cell phones. When a person who has opted into the program tests positive for COVID-19, the person can then consent to have all of their recent close contacts notified by cell phone.
Those contacts then receive a notification on their phone, alerting
them that they have recently been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus. The idea is to more rapidly reach people who may have unknowingly contracted the virus and could be passing it along to others, giving them a chance to get tested and go into quarantine.
The program will not replace traditional contact-tracing efforts, but
Newsom described it as ``another tool in the toolbox'' to supplement those
efforts.
The city and county of Los Angeles announced a similar program earlier
this year, partnering with the Citizen crime-tracking app. That program
also required participants to opt in, since it requires constant tracking of a
person's location to determine if they were in an area where virus exposure may have occurred.
The CA Notify program conducts similar tracking through the Bluetooth
system, but Newsom stressed that the information is not collected or made
public. The program will begin on Thursday.
Android phone users will need to download the CA Notify app to take
part in the program. Apple iPhone users will not have to download and app. The notify program will be available in the phone's Settings menu, and users can opt in to receive notifications of possible exposures.
Cell phone users across the state will receive a notification on their
phones prior to Thursday, notifying them of the availability of the system
and the need to opt in. You can learn more now by clicking here.
Stay up-to-date with the latest local coronavirus news, including reopenings and closing, new case data, live news conferences, and other updates at KESQ.com/Coronavirus or download the News Channel 3 app on the Apple Store and Google Play.
