As part of the state’s continued efforts to slow the increasing spread of COVID-19, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) announced last week the statewide rollout of the COVID-19 exposure notification app MI COVID Alert.
The anonymous, no cost and voluntary app lets users know whether they may have recently been exposed to COVID-19.  
Users can confidentially submit a positive test result into the app and alert others in recent proximity they may have also been exposed to the virus. 
“COVID cases and deaths are now rising fast,” said Robert Gordon, director of MDHHS. “Using MI COVID Alert on your cell phone is a simple, safe step everyone can take to protect themselves and their loved ones. It’s free, it’s easy, and it protects your privacy.” 
“This app has the potential to provide the kind of early exposure notification that is critical to preventing the spread of the virus,” added Michigan State University Executive Vice President for Health Sciences Dr. Norman J. Beauchamp Jr.
“In addition to wearing a mask, social distancing and getting tested, downloading the app is one of the most important steps we can take to help keep our communities safe.” 
When a person tests positive for COVID-19, they receive a randomly generated PIN from the local health department or state of Michigan case investigators that allows them to share their test results anonymously on the app.
MI COVID Alert uses randomly generated phone codes and low energy Bluetooth technology instead of GPS location to protect privacy while looking back in time to determine close contact with other phones that have the app.
If someone was in close contact with another person who submitted a positive COVID-19 test result, the close contact will receive a push notification once the positive test result is entered into the system.
A notification means the app user was possibly within six feet for at least 15 minutes of someone who tested positive.
Michigan worked with Apple and Google to make MI COVID Alert compatible with similar apps in other states.
The app works in conjunction with traditional contact tracing, mask-wearing, hand washing and social distancing, but is not a replacement for these precautions or participation in contact tracing.