MI Has Launched COVID-19 Exposure Alert App

For those of you who want to know of possible exposure to COVID-19, there is now an app for that.

A brand new app called MI COVID ALERT' is now available for Michigan residents to track exposure to COVID-19. Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services along with the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget have just announced the arrival of the app.

In short, this new app will tell the users whether or not they have been exposed to COVID-19 through Bluetooth technology. Users of that app that test positive for COVID-19 will be given a PIN and can then anonymously enter it into the app. The new app then traces back in time to alert other users that may have been in close contact with the positive user.

If you test positive for coronavirus, you can use the app to alert anyone you have been in close contact with. Our contact tracing team will phone you if you test positive. They will ask you to identify all your close contacts, including those who do not have the app. They will also ask you if you have the app. If you have the app, they will ask you to upload the anonymous IDs that your phone has shared for the last 14 days. You do this using the app. It's your choice if you want to do this. If you agree, the contact tracing team will send you a unique upload code by text message. This code unlocks the upload functionality on the app. Only the DHHS can issue upload codes if someone tests positive. People who do not have the virus will not be able to use this function on the app.

For those of you wondering about the privacy of this app, here are some things to know:

• It is up to you if you want to use the app or not.
• You decide what information you want to share.
• You are never asked your name, age, or address.
• You will remain anonymous and other users will not know who you are.

For more information on the app and how to get it, click here. 

Source: Michigan.gov/coronavirus