This technology can help support traditional contact tracing efforts by notifying more people who have been in close contact with a positive COVID-19 individual at a faster rate. In many cases, positive COVID-19 individuals may not even know the people they were in close contact with (for example, if the contact happened on a bus or train, at a check-out line in a grocery store, a restaurant or some other public venue). How can Exposure Notifications help reduce the spread of COVID-19?Įxisting traditional contact tracing processes rely on a positive individual to remember and name who they have been in contact with recently, and for how long. For more information, we recommend watching this video. The app never collects or reveals the identity of any person using the app, and never reveals who has been diagnosed as positive for COVID-19. If there is a match, the app will let them know they came in close contact with someone who was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Other app users' phones routinely check if they have ever been in close contact (e.g., within six feet for fifteen minutes or more) with a phone that shared those same Bluetooth keys.
If the individual agrees and enters the 6-digit code in the app, they are given the option to share their random Bluetooth keys with other app users. If the individual has the COVID Alert PA app on their phone, the public health representative will then offer to provide a 6-digit validation code. The app uses the Exposure Notification System developed by Apple and Google. When someone receives a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, they will receive a call from the Department of Health or their county or municipal health department within 24-72 hours. The App uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology and the Exposure Notification System developed by the Apple and Google to help notify and give public health guidance to anyone who may have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. Preguntas frecuentes sobre COVID Alert PAĬOVID Alert PA is a free mobile app offered by the Pennsylvania Department of Health that is designed to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. COVID Alert PA Frequently Asked Questions