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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — As of Tuesday, a COVID-19 mass-notification system is now live in Massachusetts.
MassNotify is a voluntary, opt-in system that tells users if they have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19.
The system uses Bluetooth to work, exchanging random, anonymous codes with other users that get close to each other. If someone in the network tests positive for COVID, they can let the system know, and it will tell the other users that got close to them that they’ve been exposed.
MassNotify was tested out in Methuen and Somerville before going live statewide, and developed with Google and Apple. It takes the form of an app on Android phones and a setting on iPhones.
Governor Charlie Baker said the system would “provide additional peace of mind to residents as they return to doing the things they love.”
The governor stressed that MassNotify was anonymous and didn't track or store location data or personal information.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports:
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