The MI COVID Alert app has reached nearly a half million downloads. The app is used to alert users of possible exposure to the highly contagious virus.
Oxford University studies have shown that when just 15% of the population uses exposure notification apps, infections and deaths can be potentially reduced. Michigan is at about 9% of the population having downloaded the app.
The app uses tracking data to give a push notification to let users know they may have been exposed and the number of days since the possible exposure took place. No personal information is shared with other users.
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the app uses randomly generated phone codes and low-energy Bluetooth technology to gauge proximity between phones without tracking exact location.
Robert Gordon, director of MDHHS, said, “If we hit even a million downloads by January 2021, we’ll be safer until a vaccine is available to the broader population.”
The app is called MI COVID Alert and is available in the Apple Store and on Google Play.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
