Maryland Department of Health Launches Phone Notification Alerts for Coronavirus Exposure

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) announced this Tuesday the launch of MD Covid Alert, an official COVID-19 Exposure Notifications system for Marylanders.

RELEASE: Starting today, Marylanders can use MD COVID Alert to receive #COVID19 exposure notifications on their smartphones. MD COVID Alert uses Bluetooth to notify users who may have been exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus.

Learn more: https://t.co/BCsQIdnPOG pic.twitter.com/MN9q1bhyoE

— Maryland Department of Health (@MDHealthDept) November 10, 2020

According to the press release, MD COVID Alert uses low bluetooth energy technology to quickly notify other users if they have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. This is in effort to reduce the number of infections in Maryland.

Those with an iPhone or Android smartphone have the option to enable notifications on their devices. iPhone users can opt in for alerts under settings and by selecting Maryland as their region. Android smartphone users can opt in for alerts by downloading the MD COVID Alert app from the Google Play store. The alert system is free and users can opt out at any time, according to the press release.

To enable notifications on iPhones: Go to Settings and Turn On Exposure Notifications. Opt-in and select your region as Maryland and complete the onboarding as needed. Apple users will also receive proactive notifications alerting you when Exposure Notifications are available. pic.twitter.com/yCEXkYk9rb

— Maryland Department of Health (@MDHealthDept) November 10, 2020

“MD COVID Alert complements our traditional contact tracing efforts to notify users of possible exposure to help contain the virus,” MDH Secretary Robert R. Neall said in a statement. “I encourage Marylanders to use MD COVID Alert to help protect the people around them, including those they might not know directly.”

MD COVID Alert never tracks users locations and they will remain anonymous while using the app, according to the press release.

This alert system is not a substitute for traditional contact tracing or for preventative public health measures that include wearing a mask, social distancing in public, frequent hand washing and avoiding large crowds.

For more information about MD COVID Alert, visit this website. To learn about Maryland’s contact tracing initiative, visit this website.

About Sydney Bullock

Sydney Bullock was a senior Multimedia Journalism major at the University of Maryland in the fall of 2020 when she was an intern with Montgomery Community Media.

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