Coloradans Can Now Be Alerted To Possible COVID-19 Exposure Through Smartphone App

DENVER (CBS4) - The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment officially launched a new service to fight the spread of COVID-19 in the Centennial State. EN Express is free, and state officials stress it is anonymous and it does not collect your health data or personal information.

Apple phones automatically have the app, and Android users will have to download it.

State officials, including Gov. Jared Polis, unveiled the technology in September.

"We must regain lost ground against this deadly virus, and we need every tool at our disposal to protect ourselves, our families, our communities, and our small businesses," said Polis on Sunday morning. "It's important for Coloradans to enable CO Exposure Notifications on your iPhone or Android to help save lives, to contain this deadly disease, protect your loved ones, and to use every technological advantage we have against the virus."

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS

When two people meet who've both opted into the app and they practice appropriate social distancing and mask wearing, their phones are exchanging anonymous tokens via Bluetooth. Those tokens are stored anonymously on a public health server.

If one of those people start to feel ill and learn they have tested positive for COVID-19 from a doctor's office, they will get a code/key from their local public health agency to enter into their phone. The key will then notify anyone who opted in and had contact with the patient.

"All of those tokens then send a message back to the phones that they were generated on and give people a little push notification that says 'Hey, look, you might have been exposed. Call your local public health agency,'" said Sarah Tuneberg, Innovation Response Team Lead for CDPHE.

Those who get a phone notification will then be given instructions on what to do next, including testing, isolation and quarantine.