Publicity Notifications System: Serving to Well being Authorities battle COVID-19
Video: Google.
SACRAMENTO – California’s departments of Public Well being and Know-how introduced this week that they plan to increase the pilot of a cell app designed by Google and Apple that notifies a person after they have been uncovered to somebody contaminated with the coronavirus.
The state rolled out the pilot venture in mid-September on the College of California’s campuses in San Diego and San Francisco. Now, the venture will increase to incorporate UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara and UC Riverside, in response to state officers.
“Extending the pilot venture permits us to achieve a bigger and extra various pool of customers to additional consider the know-how’s potential to assist California sluggish the unfold of COVID-19,” stated Dr. Erica Pan, the state’s interim public well being officer.
The app, referred to as CA Notify, makes use of Bluetooth know-how to inform customers who’re nearing somebody who has examined constructive for the virus, in response to the CDPH.
CA Notify customers should voluntarily activate the app, which doesn’t reveal the id or exact location of the coronavirus-positive person. The app additionally doesn’t gather, retailer or transmit figuring out person data, in response to the CDPH.
Along with faculties within the UC system, CA Notify can be being examined at universities in Colorado, Nevada, Washington and Oregon – the members of the Western States Pact, together with California.
About 15,000 customers at UC San Diego and 5,000 customers at UCSF at the moment are utilizing CA Notify, in response to the CDPH, representing about half the on-campus communities of each faculties.
State officers have touted the app’s potential to assist sluggish the virus’ unfold and streamline contact tracing efforts as soon as somebody does check constructive.
“The extra individuals who use the applying, the slower the virus will unfold,” stated Dr. Christopher Longhurst, UCSD Well being’s chief data officer.
“By increasing into further geographical areas, we are able to profit extra of the total inhabitants,” Longhurst continued. “The large image is a safer California for everybody.”