Watch: Gov. Jay Inslee spoke Monday (Nov. 30) about WA state COVID-19 exposure tool
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee had a virtual news conference at 2:30 p.m. Monday to talk about WA Notify, a COVID-19 exposure notification tool for smartphones.
Monday morning, the governor’s office announced the tool’s launch with the state Department of Health. People who enable or add WA Notify on their smartphones will be alerted if they spent time with another user who later tests positive for COVID-19, according to the announcement. The University of Washington tested WA Notify with students for the past month in preparation for the statewide launch.
State Secretary of Health John Wiesman and President of the University of Washington Ana Mari Cauce joined Inslee at the news conference, according to a press advisory.
Watch the livestream below via TVW.
The free tool is already being used in several other states and countries and is available in 29 languages, according to the governor’s office. It uses “privacy-preserving technology” that avoids collecting or revealing users’ location and personal data. iPhone users can enable it in their settings, according to the governor’s office, while Android users will need to download it as an app.
This story was originally published November 30, 2020 at 10:16 AM.
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