Have you downloaded COVID Alert yet?
As we safely and gradually reopen Ontario, I’m pleased to share that you can now download the COVID Alert app to help stop the spread of the virus.
All Ontarians are encouraged to download the app for free from the Apple App Store and the Google Play store.
What is COVID Alert?
COVID Alert is Canada’s free COVID-19 exposure notification app, available for download in the Apple App Store and the Google Play store. Health Canada and the Canadian Digital Service (CDS) launched the app on July 31 as part of the cross-country effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The Ontario Digital Service (ODS) is proud to have worked closely with CDS, Health Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Health, Blackberry and Shopify to build an app that puts Canadians’ privacy and health first. This means we tested the app with nearly 6,000 individuals of various backgrounds and abilities across Canada — people with disabilities, Black, Indigenous, racialized people, and recent immigrants — and listened to their feedback.
The ODS had an opportunity to collaborate with Shopify on the early development of the app, and we embedded members of our team with the CDS to bring the final product to life. This has been a truly collaborative effort, with federal, provincial and industry practitioners coming together to launch a product for all Canadians.
The result
COVID Alert is accessible, voluntary, secure, privacy-first and user-friendly. It’s an easy way for you to help your family and community stay safe.
How does it work?
The COVID Alert app uses your phone’s Bluetooth feature to detect when you’re near another app user. If you test positive for COVID-19, you can choose to let other users know without sharing any personal information. The app will then notify anyone who came within two metres of you for 15 minutes or more within the past 14 days.
Once you’ve installed the app, you just need to make sure your Bluetooth and phone are turned on. The app runs in the background, so it doesn’t drain your battery and you can use your phone as usual with no interruptions.
What about privacy?
Protecting your privacy is a key priority for the app. COVID Alert has no way of knowing your location, your name or address, your phone contacts, your health information, or the health information of any other user. If you receive an alert that you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you can feel secure in knowing that neither you nor the app can tell who that person was.
The app was inspired by a privacy-by-design approach building on the Google Apple Exposure Notification System that has also been adopted by countries such as Ireland, Germany and Italy.
“As Ontario safely and gradually re-opens, we continue to take a digital-first approach to delivering simpler, faster, better services to support Ontarians, including the COVID Alert app, which will leverage technology to protect the health and safety of the people of Ontario. Developing intuitive, user-friendly digital tools like COVID Alert is another example of how Ontario is building a smarter government that works for you.”
— Peter Bethlenfalvy, President of the Treasury Board, who is now overseeing Ontario’s efforts to lead digital and data transformation for the people of Ontario, including oversight of the Ontario Digital Service
I’ve downloaded the app, what’s next?
Encourage people in your communities to do the same. The more people who use the app, the more helpful it will be.
Don’t forget that physical distancing, wearing face coverings, practicing good hand hygiene and being true to your social circle remain critical in helping us stop COVID-19.
Stay safe, and thanks for doing your part to help stop the spread!
