![]() The code never cameīut Andrew Loo said the app failed to do what the state promised.Īs a cancer survivor, Loo had downloaded the app as soon as it was made available because he said he wanted to protect himself, his wife (who works in healthcare), and anyone else they came in close contact with. To date, more than 2.7 million people in Minnesota opted-in by either downloading the app or enabling exposure notifications on their Apple devices. “We’re pretty confident, certainly in Minnesota, that this along with other measures have resulted in two really, really critical things: saving lives and reducing the spread of COVID-19,” said Tarek Tomes, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Information Technology, or MNIT. ![]() State data revealed the week after cases peaked, only 4% of the codes sent to COVID-positive patients were used in the app.ĭespite the low participation, state officials defended the technology. The user rate was even worse when the Omicron wave hit Minnesota in January. Data analyzed by 5 INVESTIGATES shows only 57,402, less than 10%, were put back into the app. In the year and a half the technology has been online, the state generated 653,362 codes connected to positive COVID test results. The app notifies an individual that they may have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.īut the effectiveness of the app hinges on the person who tests positive being willing - and able - to enter a code generated by the state health department. The state launched the “COVIDAware MN” app in November 2020. Technology touted by state officials to help slow the spread of COVID-19 is rarely being used by the millions of Minnesotans who have it on their phones, an analysis of state data shows.
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