Dear Friend,
 
Since the coronavirus outbreak began, my top priority has been to provide our nation and our Commonwealth with the resources we need to fight this pandemic. Last week, using funding provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Virginia Department of Health launched a new tool to help fight COVID-19. COVIDWISE is an exposure notification app that will alert users if they have been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 while protecting individual users’ privacy.

Virginia is the first state in the country to design a COVID-19 app using Bluetooth Low Energy technology, which does not rely on personal information or location data. Users can opt-in to download and utilize the free app. Given the sensitivity of health data, privacy-preserving technology is hugely important in gaining Americans’ trust. As the sponsor of legislation to protect the security and privacy of COVID health data, I’m pleased to see this thoughtful approach by the Virginia Department of Health. 

The app works by using random Bluetooth keys that change every 10 to 20 minutes. iOS and Android devices that have the app installed will anonymously share these random keys if they are within proximity for at least 15 minutes. If a person is diagnosed with COVID-19, it is up to them whether or not to share their result anonymously through COVIDWISE. No location data or personal information is ever collected, stored, tracked, or transmitted to the Virginia Department of Health as part of the app. Users can delete the app or turn off exposure notifications at any time.

The COVIDWISE app is one tool to help us confront this challenge, but we all must continue to work together to stop the spread of the virus. For more information about the COVIDWISE app, I encourage you to visit the Virginia Department of Health website. 

Now I want to hear from you. Will you use the survey below to share your thoughts on the coronavirus?

If you want to share your thoughts about an issue that’s important to you, you can send me an email at any time using the form on my Senate website. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,