COVID Alert is now available in Newfoundland and Labrador for download free through the Apple or Google Play app stores.
Newfoundland and Labrador is the second province to launch the app, which health officials say will help prevent the spread of the virus. Ontario was the first.
The Provincial Government has been working in close partnership with the Government of Canada to launch COVID Alert. It has also consulted with the Information and Privacy Commissioner to ensure the highest standards of privacy are in place for those people who choose to use the app.
The use of COVID Alert is completely voluntary. The app does not use GPS or track a user’s particular geographic location. It does not share a person’s name, address or telephone contacts. The app does not collect or store any personal health information.
-Provincial government statement.
If a person who tests positive for COVID-19 has the app, they will receive a one-time key from Public Health. When the key is entered into the app, COVID Alert notifies other app users who may have come in close contact with that person in the last 14 days. Those users will be asked to contact Public Health for advice and further guidance.
Some people have privacy concerns but the provincial government says it is a secure, reliable, and user-friendly app.
Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey says the app is based on a protocol that does not involve the collection of personal information.
He says the app has been subject to scrutiny by privacy and cybersecurity experts around the world and shows that technology can meet an emerging need without the mass collection of personal information.
