It uses Bluetooth and random codes to alert you if you have been exposed to the virus. No personal information is needed.
There aren’t many tools out there to help us stop the coronavirus. We can wash our hands, use hand sanitizer, stay away from each other, and wear a mask and face shield. Beyond that, we are pretty much at nature’s whim, aside from one potentially vital piece of technology: COVID-19 tracker apps.
Coronavirus tracker apps have been used around the world from Asia to Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, in efforts to stop COVID-19. They work by keeping track of where people are moving in a community and alerting them if they have been exposed to the virus. In some countries such as China, their use has been mandatory. In others, like New Zealand, it has been up to personal choice. Their use can be the key to flattening the coronavirus curve and keeping it down.
Canada released its free COVID-19 exposure notification app in the first half of August. Here are ten things to know about it.
1) It’s optional.
Deciding to use Canada’s COVID-19 app is left entirely up to choice. No one is forced to download it, and you will not be punished or rewarded for using it.
2) It doesn’t rely on QR codes but rather runs constantly.
Unlike contact tracing apps used in some other countries,, Canada’s doesn’t rely on users scanning QR codes in offices, restaurants, stores, and other public places. You hold it in your pocket, and it runs constantly, doing the work for you via Bluetooth.
Once you have the app on your phone, it’s always in action. It works by exchanging random codes with phones nearby. If someone close to you has the app on their phone, your phones will exchange random codes with each other. Every 24 hours, your phone will check a list of random codes from people who have told the app they tested positive for COVID-19. If you have been near (closer than 2 meters) someone for more than 15 minutes, you will be alerted. (The app estimates how close people are to you by the strength of the Bluetooth signals it receives).
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3) It doesn’t use GPS to track your location.
The app has no way of telling where you are. It simply takes note of the codes you come near.
4) It doesn’t know your health info.
The app doesn’t require you to enter any personal information like your name, address, or health card number.
5) It won’t share information about you with others.
Since the app relies on exchanging random codes, it doesn’t share anything personal.
6) It is starting in Ontario.
The app is starting in Ontario and may spread to other provinces and territories. Some provinces, like Alberta, also have their own tracking app.
7) It was made “open” and you can help develop it further.
In the spirit of togetherness during the pandemic, Canada’s COVID-19 app was made as open-source. This means that those who are techie-inclined can help further its development, and identify any blips if found.
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8) It was created by volunteers at Shopify.
Named COVID Alert, the app is the product of volunteer masterminds at Shopify and the Canadian Digital Service. It’s free and was released under a flexible open-source license.
9) You can share ready-made content to promote it on social media.
Like what you see? Share the news on social media and encourage others to use the app by sharing these pre-made memes and statements about the app.
10) It was designed to be used throughout the pandemic.
Once you download the app, keep it on your phone for the duration of the pandemic. This way you help create a tool we can all use to protect ourselves until the vaccine arrives. Download the app here.
photo credits: r.classen/Shutterstock.com
