Recently, New York State in collaboration with the state of New Jersey launched a new phone app, COVID Alert NY, which can provide individuals who download it with greater peace of mind about potential exposure to others who have COVID-19. The free app can be downloaded directly from this New York State announcement (as well as from Google Play and Apple’s App Store) and uses Bluetooth technology to let individuals know when they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
While the University’s Coronavirus University Restart Team (CURT) isn’t requiring students, faculty and staff to download the app, it can be recommended as an additional tool to help individuals understand their own interactions and possible exposures. One of the benefits of the COVID Alert NY app is that beyond the one-time “opt-in,” it does not require users to actively perform any regular or daily check-ins, and it works while keeping all users completely anonymous—it does not track or collect any location data or personal data from anyone’s phone. And the app can be turned on or off at any time. It will work on the University’s campuses, but is not geofenced for the University community specifically—it works anywhere in New York state or New Jersey, and also works with similar apps in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Opting to use this app does not replace the requirement for students, faculty and staff who are on campus or University property to complete their Dr. Chat Bot screening every day.