Quebec became the sixth province in Canada to support the COVID Alert app, with the launch coming on Monday afternoon.
According to Aaron Snow, CEO of the federal government’s Canadian Digital Service, over 70% of Canadians now live in areas where COVID Alert is supported.
“With the addition of Quebec yesterday, more than 70% of Canadians now live in supported areas. The more people download COVID Alert, the more it can help. Let’s keep going,” said Snow on Tuesday morning.
Snow also shared a map showing which provinces and territories currently support COVID Alert:
Provinces currently supporting COVID Alert or coming soon:
Still waiting for:
According to a Health Canada media briefing today, COVID Alert has been downloaded over 3.4 million times and 856 positive COVID-19 tests have been reported through the app.
We've updated our latest story on the COVID Alert app to reflect new figures:
-more than 3.4 million downloads
-856 positive coronavirus tests reported through the app, allowing others to receive an exposure notification. https://t.co/LJTVJ4zyqG— Thomas Daigle (@thomasdaigle) October 6, 2020
Canada’s COVID Alert app is based on Google and Apple’s exposure notification framework, which leverages Bluetooth on devices for anonymous “handshakes” in the background. The app does not use GPS info or collect any user data. It has been vetted as safe by Canada’s privacy commissioner and provincial counterparts.
When someone tests positive for COVID-19, they can anonymously alert others that may have been in contact using COVID Alert, by obtaining a one-time use from their provincial health authority.
Last week, Health Canada said Saskatchewan was one of the only other provinces aside from Ontario to report positive COVID-19 exposures within the app, a number fewer than 15, reported The Star Phoenix.
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