The state Department of Health will shut down the COVID-19 exposure notification system on May 11, after more than two years, the department announced this week.
The department is still encouraging those who test positive for the virus to anonymously report it through the WA Notify app, but after May 11, people will no longer be notified of an exposure.
According to a news release from the DOH, the app’s notification system will disappear on the same day as the statewide public health emergency declaration. The emergency is ending because there’s a high level of vaccinated individuals and population immunity as well as available treatments for those with the virus.
According to the release, the app uses privacy-preserving Bluetooth technology to anonymously alert users they may have been exposed to someone with the virus. No location or personally identifiable information was collected or stored on the app, the DOH says.
