The Virginia state government has launched COVIDWISE, a coronavirus notification app that can alert users if they have been in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
Virginia is the first state in the nation to launch such an app. It is based on Bluetooth Low Energy technology jointly developed by Apple and Google (Android). Users can download the app from their mobile phone's app store now.
The more people who download and use the app, the more effective it will be in helping reduce the possibility for COVID-19 transmission.
In the City of Alexandria, 2,872 people have tested positive for COVID-19 since the health department started tracking cases back in early March. Sixty people have died, as of the end of Tuesday. In Fairfax County, 16,091 have tested positive and 530 people have died.
Statewide, the 7-day Positivity Rate is 7.4 percent. It's lower in Northern Virginia — 5.7 percent in Alexandria and 6.1 percent in Fairfax County.
“We must continue to fight COVID-19 from every possible angle,” said Governor Northam Wednesday. “The COVIDWISE exposure notification app gives you an additional tool to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community, while maintaining your personal privacy. I encourage all Virginians to download and use this app, so we can work together to contain this virus.”
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) developed COVIDWISE in partnership with Spring ML using funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
“As COVID-19 cases continue to be identified across the Commonwealth, it is important for people to know whether they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the disease,” said State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver. “COVIDWISE will notify you if you’ve likely been exposed to another app user who anonymously shared a positive COVID-19 test result. Knowing your exposure history allows you to self-quarantine effectively, seek timely medical attention, and reduce potential exposure risk. The more Virginians use COVIDWISE, the greater the likelihood that you will receive timely exposure notifications that lead to effective disease prevention.”
More information about the COVIDWISE technology and app is available here.
"Anyone who downloads the app has the option to choose to receive exposure notifications, and if a person is diagnosed with COVID-19, it is up to them whether or not to share their result anonymously through COVIDWISE. No location data or personal information is ever collected, stored, tracked, or transmitted to VDH as part of the app. Users have the ability to delete the app or turn off exposure notifications at any time," according to a press release.
