The COVID Alert app is a really important tool for Canadians and, in fact, for public health officials, to help alleviate the burden on public health to do that contact tracing.
The difference between a notification and contact tracing is that one happens through the app. It's very confidential, by the way. You get a notification on your phone that says you've had a close contact with someone who has tested positive. It doesn't identify their name or even where that contact might have happened, but it gives you an indication that you should reach out to public health, perhaps to get tested and to get advice about what to do next.
The contact tracing is a much more intensive process that public health officials undertake when there is a positive case. With the person, they're going through who they have been around and where they have gone. Oftentimes, it's hard for a person to remember. Sometimes there are issues of privacy, and it can be very labour intensive.
This COVID Alert app actually provides that rapid, private way for people to know if they've been in close contact with someone who is positive. It uses Bluetooth technology. It doesn't record users' locations or other personal information. Obviously, it was really important to Canadians that first and foremost, we protect their privacy. It's actually more private than the Instagram and Facebook apps that are often on people's phones. It's really important that people download the app. I'd just like to put a plug out right now to any Canadian who might be listening to us that they download the COVID Alert app.
As the Prime Minister said this morning, in fact, even if you're in a province where the COVID Alert app is not functional, it's wise to download it, because if you do come into contact with someone from another province who is using the app and they put in the code that they've tested positive, you'll still get a notification even if you're in a province that doesn't currently utilize the app.
We have almost all the provinces on board. It's a really important tool to help alleviate that burden on our hard-working public health staff on the front lines.