Norman Oliver that was provided by Apple and Google.Įxperts have warned that digital contact tracing systems such as these can only make an impact if they're distributed widely and downloaded by a substantial portion of the general population. Virginia was the first of these to release an Exposure Notifications app about a month ago, and has so far seen nearly a half a million downloads according to a statement from Virginia Department of Health Commissioner Dr. states, territories and the District of Columbia have explored the technology, with six states having already launched a custom app built on the framework. Since their announcement in April and release in May, Apple and Google's opt-in contact tracing tools have been adopted by a handful of countries' public health systems, and now appears to be gaining steam within the U.S. "We appreciate our collaboration with Apple and Google, and look forward to launching this state-of-the-art technology in Maryland.”
“Exposure Notifications Express will help to save lives, greatly enhance our contact tracing operation, and advance our statewide COVID-19 recovery," Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said in a statement provided by the companies.
to roll out the new contact tracing system, Apple and Google have also been teasing additional state deployments to come in the fall. have already agreed to be the first states in the U.S. Maryland, Nevada, Virginia and Washington D.C. The systems are fully interoperable across platforms and with existing or in-development custom apps made using Exposure Notifications. Rather, authorities can have a system or app generated for them by the tech companies so long as they provide an organization name, contact information, local guidances, logos, exposure notification criteria and other educational materials to be presented to users when an exposure is triggered.Īs before, the companies said that this upgraded version of the technology on both platforms still won't collect identifying data from the user.
#Apple ios update contact tracing download#
That notification, however, will bring users to a download page for their state's exposure notification app.Īcross both platforms, Exposure Notifications Express also cuts down the time public health authorities will need to spend developing, implementing and maintaining a custom app for their state, representatives of Apple and Google said.
If users consent, they are enrolled in the feature without the need to download a public health agency-developed app.Īndroid users, meanwhile, will see a similar functionality go live on their devices later this month.
#Apple ios update contact tracing Bluetooth#
Launched today on iPhones with the iOS 13.7 update, "Exposure Notifications Express" sends device owners in participating states a push notification with the option to opt into the Bluetooth contact tracing system. Apple and Google are refining their COVID-19 contact tracing framework to fast-track enrollment and, for Apple device owners, completely forego the need to download a separate app, representatives of the companies announced today.