Inslee announces COVID-19 exposure notification app

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Washington residents have an additional tool to use in efforts to fight COVID-19 activity in the state, as Gov. Jay Inslee announced a new smartphone app intended to alert users of potential disease exposure without collecting personal data.

At a Nov. 30 press conference, Inslee announced the launch of WA Notify, an app that will notify users if they have potential exposure of another user who tests positive for COVID-19.

The app allows for notifications without collection of personal information, Inslee said. He explained the technology uses randomly-generated codes through Bluetooth technology that will notify users if another user who tests positive enters a given verification code from a public health agency. Those who were in close contact with the positive individual within the past 14 days would be alerted.

Inslee said the app was jointly developed by Apple and Google, based on a precursor worked on at the University of Washington. He said the app does not store or share personal information, track the locations of users, identify which users are notified, or provide personal information to app developers.

Inslee said the notification would not identify the location of potential exposure, but would provide links for what to do next for those potentially exposed. Inslee said that those with Apple devices will have the setting to turn on exposure notifications already on their phone, while Android device users can download the app.

Available in 29 languages, Inslee said WA Notify uses an algorithm to determine how close and for how long users were in potential contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case.

“That means if you were on the other side of a grocery store from someone who tested positive and has the app, it doesn’t trigger the exposure notification,” Inslee said.

Prior to its launch Inslee said the app was reviewed by an oversight committee that included security and civil liberties experts. As of earlier that day Inslee said there had already been 200,000 signups for the app.



Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman said that modeling studies done in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties showed that if 15 percent of smartphone users used the app, there would be an 11-percent decrease in COVID-19 infections and 15-percent decrease in deaths.

Wiesman said that once the verification code is sent the app would not notify its users if the positive individual continued to be in close contact with others, unless that individual requested a new code.

Inslee said WA Notify was “a great complement” to ongoing contact tracing efforts, adding the app differed as it does not track the information those processes do. Wiesman said the app would allow for contact tracing efforts to go “further and faster” in their work, explaining that potential transmissions in public settings can make it difficult to determine exposure.

The app comes as work on COVID-19 vaccines approaches the point of distribution. At the press conference Inslee said he had a call with Vice President Mike Pence earlier that day to discuss the vaccine, saying its distribution to the public was “relatively imminent” with first shipments potentially available in mid-December. The governor requested that hospitals and clinics enroll to be providers of the vaccine, saying that those who did so before Dec. 6 could receive the first supplies available.

Wiesman said that a vaccination rate of 60 to 70 percent would be needed to stop outbreaks and ongoing transmission of the disease. In the meantime, Inslee said use of the app and other continuing efforts to stop COVID-19 spread remained important in combating disease activity, stressing that the app was designed to not be an invasion of privacy.

“This is a private activity between you and an algorithm that remains free of even maintaining private information,” Inslee remarked. “That’s a pretty sweet deal.”

More information:

More information on the WA Notify app is available at doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/WANotify