State releases app to track spread of coronavirus, tell users if they’ve been exposed to sick person

April 21, 2020 Utah Channel 3

ST. GEORGE — The state of Utah is releasing a free mobile app Wednesday designed to help track symptoms and those with the coronavirus as the state moves toward reopening parts of the economy.

Screens from the new “Healthy Together” app designed to trace and track the spread of coronavirus and those with it in Utah, launched on April 22, 2020. | Screenshots, St. George News

The “Healthy Together” app, announced by Gov. Gary Herbert, is being released immediately and is designed to allow the tracking of those with the virus or its symptoms allowing for a quicker public health response to an outbreak.

Herbert, during the daily state coronavirus press conference, said while he understands some may have privacy concerns, he said the state is being transparent in how the data is being used, no one will be forced to give their information and added no data is being saved beyond 30 days.

“We can never please everybody. That’s why its on a volunteer basis. We’re open with the data so you will know where its going,” Herbert said. “If I was exposed and didn’t know it and they were able to communicate that, it’s a help.”

Paul Edwards, deputy chief of staff for the governor, told St. George News the app will be a key part of the state’s strategy in the stabilization and recovery phase of the state’s “Utah Leads Together 2.0” plan introduced last Friday.

The concept is that health officials will have a better idea of where the virus is propagating at a given time so more focused action in certain areas can take place, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all, close everything in the state approach.

“We won’t have the advantage of a vaccine. This will be our tool for this,” Edwards said. “The idea is this would put us on a place with (South) Korea. These are basic tracing efforts that have proven effective.”

“If the virus breaks out again, we don’t have to have everyone run and stay inside. We can say the outbreak was, say, at the college. This allows us to target and contain and hopefully avoid the process of closing down the state,” he added.

The free app can be downloaded for Android devices at this link and on Apple devices at this link.

The application will allow people to voluntarily opt-in to share their location and health data. It will also let users know if they’ve crossed paths or had contact with someone with the virus.

The application will integrate the “Crush the Curve” survey at testutah.com, which health officials say has allowed them to have a better handle on the extent of the spread of the virus in the state and the right places to set up testing. More than 50,000 Utahans have entered their health information in the survey according to the Utah Department of Health.