New York on Oct. 1 launched its new COVID-19 contact tracing app, which uses Bluetooth technology to track potential exposures, according to CNBC.
The app, dubbed Covid Alert NY, cost about $700,000 to develop and has been piloted at university campuses, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. In addition to New York, the app will also be deployed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Connecticut to share information across state lines. Other states that released apps on the same system include Virginia, North Carolina and Arizona.
Built on Apple and Google's joint system, New York is the biggest state so far to release an app based on the tech giants' COVID-19 exposure notification framework, according to the report.
Covid Alert NY uses Bluetooth technology, not location tracking, to identify close contact between phones whose users have downloaded the app and have tested positive for COVID-19. The app is anonymous and does not collect or store any personal information.