The federal government’s COVID Alert exposure notification app is now fully available to download in Manitoba.
COVID Alert was first released in Ontario over the summer, and has since rolled out in Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.
“The COVID Alert app is a tool that Manitobans can use to help protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities from COVID-19,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a news release.
Quebec has revealed that it will use the app too after previously saying that it wouldn’t due to lack of support in the province for it. It’s unknown when exactly the province will be rolling out support for the app.
COVID Alert uses Apple and Google’s notification API, which uses Bluetooth technology to share randomized codes with other nearby smartphones. These codes can’t identify users.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has revealed that COVID Alert has been downloaded more than 3 million times, and that more than 504 people have voluntarily input their one-time key to notify others around them after testing positive for COVID-19.
The government has established the COVID-19 Exposure Notification App Advisory Council to ensure the app meets the highest standards in public health outcomes, privacy, and technology.
COVID Alert has also been approved by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, who has said that proper safeguards have been put in place to protect Canadians.
The app can be downloaded from the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store.
Source: Government of Canada
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