By Sasha Gonzales
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A new smartphone app can alert Bronx residents when they come in contact with someone infected with COVID-19, state officials said Thursday.
COVID Alert NY – available to anyone 18 or older who lives, works, or attends college in New York or New Jersey – is available for download from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
The app is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Bengali, Korean, Russian, and Haitian Creole, officials said.
It sends an alert to users who have come in close contact with a person who has tested positive for the virus – and who also has the app on their phone – for at least 10 minutes.
“It’s using technology really on a level that’s never been used before,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “I think it’s going to not only bring contact tracing to a new level, but it’s going to bring comfort.”