CHA News

Help Needed to Increase Use of COVID-19 App That Tracks Exposure; Dec. 9 Webinar to Explain How it Works

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Today, Gov. Newsom announced a new, voluntary app called CA Notify that will launch statewide on Dec. 10. It’s designed to quickly notify individuals when they’ve been in sustained contact (per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines) with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The app does not share personal data or provide unnecessary digital details that could compromise privacy. 

This is how the app, which is available for download, works: 

  • If someone who has downloaded the app tests positive, they will automatically be sent a verification code from the California Department of Public Health to trigger anonymous notifications. 
  • Anyone who receives a notification can then follow the guidance in the app and find out what to do next.  

Here’s where hospitals come in: UC San Diego Health, which launched a pilot test program this year, has found that app downloads increased when health care providers proactively encouraged their patients to participate — leading to positive identification and virus containment. CHA is asking for your help in supporting this important initiative with your patient populations, because as more people use the app, it can more effectively help contain the virus.  

Dec. 9 Webinar Will Have More Details on the App

In addition, CHA will host a complimentary members-only webinar on Dec. 9 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. (PT) to explain how the application works and what hospitals can do to encourage staff and patients to download it.