Exposure Notification Update

IMPORTANT UPDATE re New York’s new exposure notification app

October 01, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

All,I’m excited to announce the launch of COVID Alert NY, a new exposure notification app for New Yorkers. Built by the Dept. of Health and Tech:NYC, together along with Google, Apple, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Goldman Sachs, and a coalition of technology and research partners, COVID Alert NY is a critical tool to support the state’s existing contact tracing efforts. The app will only be successful if a critical mass of New Yorkers download it, and I’m writing to ask you to encourage your teams to do just that.It is incumbent on all of us to do whatever we can to keep NY’s COVID rates low so that we can get back to the office, our kids can stay in school, and the city and state can open back up. Downloading COVID Alert NY is a small and easy step for all New Yorkers to do their part.A bit more on how the app works is below, but suffice it to say that it was built with a privacy-first framework that gives users complete control over how any data is used or shared. It’s available for both iOS and Android:

To learn more about COVID Alert NY, visit ny.gov/covidalerts. To stay updated on all developments related to COVID-19 in NY, as well as return to office trends and policy developments click here.JulieP.S. I’d recommend you all read this story from the Times today on public schools reopening for in-person learning. It’s an amazing feat and New York should be really proud of the work it took to get here. My feeling is that if downloading COVID Alert NY keeps these kids in school for even one more day, it’s completely worth it. 

Here’s how it works:

  • Phones that have downloaded the app are assigned a random ID that can be exchanged with other phones via Bluetooth technology.

  • Devices that are within six feet of each other for 10 minutes or longer exchange those random IDs.

  • If a person tests positive and reports it on the app, an alert goes out to those with whom they had close contact alerting them of potential exposure.

  • The app also serves as a resource hub of daily case count numbers and informs users of the steps they can take to prevent further virus spread. 

And it’s designed to work by placing privacy first:

  • It uses secure Bluetooth technology, not GPS, that can only detect when two devices are in proximity to each other, not geographic location. It doesn’t collect users’ data on their location or movement.

  • The random ID assigned to your device changes every 15 minutes, and users are not identified to other users, nor is their personal identifiable information shared — not with other users, Google, Apple, or the Department of Health.