COVID Alert Surpasses 5.7 Million Downloads in Six Months

Covid alert 5 7 million

Canada’s COVID Alert app has hit 5,738,220 million downloads, according to the federal government on Friday.

Since its launch in July, the COVID-19 exposure notification app for iOS and Android continues to slowly approach 6 million downloads.

As of December 15, the government noted there were 5,730,531 downloads of COVID Alert. So in three days, there was an increase of 7,689 downloads or 2,563 per day.

An upcoming update will bring COVID Alert to the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, running iOS 12.5, as Apple has added support for these older devices. When this support is available, numbers might see an uptick in downloads.

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 key from their provincial health authority.

Provinces currently supporting COVID Alert:

  • Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Ontario
  • Quebec
  • Saskatchewan
  • Nova Scotia
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Northwest Territories

Still waiting for:

  • Alberta (SHAME!)
  • British Columbia (SHAME!)
  • Nunavut
  • Yukon

Download links: 

As of December 15, COVID Alert has seen 9,153 people voluntarily entering in one-time keys, according to the federal government.

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