OTTAWA: Four million Canadians have already downloaded the Covid-19 Alert App.
Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada are asking all Canadians to download the app with the slogan “Let’s protect each other.”
The COVID Alert app is designed to let Canadians know whether they may have been exposed to COVID-19.
How the app works The app uses Bluetooth signals to exchange random codes with nearby phones with the app installed.
If someone you’ve come in close contact with later tests positive for COVID-19, they will receive a one-time-key from their local health authority that they can enter into the app.
You and others who have spent time (more than 15 minutes, less than 2 meters apart, over the past 14 days) near this person will then be notified through the app that you may have been exposed.
Your privacy is protected COVID Alert does not collect personally identifiable information about you.
It has no way of knowing:
• your location
• your name or address
• the place or time you were near someone
• your health information
• No information is shared without your consent.
What to do if you test positive You will get a one-time-key to enter into the app. The app then notifies other app users that they may have been exposed.
Notifications are based on having spent more than 15 minutes less than 2 meters from another user in the past 14 days. Your identity is not revealed.
What to do if you may have been exposed If the app notifies you about potential exposure, you should follow the guidance from your local public health authority.
Why you should download the app The app is another tool Canadians can use to help limit the spread of infection and prevent future outbreaks as we ease restrictions and restart the economy.
The more Canadians who install the COVID Alert app on their phones, the better we can limit the spread of COVID-19.
COVID Alert is completely voluntary. You choose to download, use, or delete it. The more people who use it, the more effective it will be in helping to protect each other and our communities.
COVID Alert should work on any smartphone released in the last 5 years. If you do not want to download the app, you can access the web version.
Howvnote that this is best viewed on a mobile device. If you have a privacy or security complaint, you can contact Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner.