COVID Alert CT

November 13, 2020

Connecticut residents can now take advantage of a new notification app that will help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 throughout their communities.

COVID Alert CT will notify users on their smartphones if they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 without sharing any personal information.

The app is free and available now for Apple and Android users.

How does it work? Check it out:

  • First, users should visit ct.gov/covidalertct, where they can find instructions on how to download the app for their specific device.
  • Once installed, the app uses Bluetooth to sense whether a user’s device has been within 6 feet of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more in one day – without sharing any personal information.
  • If a user has been near another person who has tested positive and is also using the app on their personal device, an alert will be triggered notifying the user that they may have been exposed to COVID-19.
  • A notification will not be triggered if two devices in this scenario are just passing by for a short duration or stay more than 6 feet away from each other. 

If a user tests positive:

  • A contact tracer from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, their local health department, or their higher education institution will ask them if they are willing to share the “close contact” codes their app has logged while they may have been contagious.
  • If the user agrees, a contract tracer will provide them with a verification code.
  • Once that code is submitted through the user’s app, those individuals who came within 6 feet of that user for more than 15 minutes and who also are using the app will receive a notification on their device that they were in close contact with someone with COVID-19.
  • Sharing this status is secure and private. The app will never reveal who the user is to anyone else.