Maryland residents can now finally access a COVID-19 exposure notification tool on their smartphones.

On Tuesday, the state launched MD COVID Alert, a system designed to notify residents who may have come in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 about their potential exposure. The alert system was first announced at the beginning of September, but it took more than two months to bring it online for Maryland residents.

Virginia and D.C. residents have access to similar contact tracing systems that launched in August and October, respectively.

“MD COVID Alert complements our traditional contact tracing efforts to notify users of possible exposure to help contain the virus,” Maryland Department of Health Secretary Robert R. Neall said in a press release. “I encourage Marylanders to use MD COVID Alert to help protect the people around them, including those they might not know directly.”

https://twitter.com/MDHealthDept/status/1326148177167339524

Android and iPhone users with iOS version 13.7 or later can access the app. To give the app permission to push notifications on an iPhone, turn on “Exposure Notifications” in the phone’s settings and set the region to the United States, then Maryland, from the drop-down menu. Finally, agree and opt in. Android users can download the application from the Google store.

To track potential exposure to COVID, the system assigns users a random ID number, information it shares via bluetooth technology with other devices using the app when users come in contact with each other. For privacy reasons, the random ID numbers change every 10 to 20 minutes.

Every day, users’ phones download a list of all the ID numbers associated with verified positive COVID-19 cases. If there’s a match between one of those numbers and an ID that a user’s phone came in contact with, MD COVID Alert will notify the user within a day of the potential exposure. Those who receive an exposure alert are advised to get tested, monitor for symptoms, and quarantine. Some users may receive a call from a contact tracer if someone positive for COVID-19 shares their information with health officials.

Local officials have emphasized that the system, which is voluntary, is designed to protect privacy and personal information. Users’ location is not tracked and no data is collected from their smartphones.

“Privacy is important. MD COVID Alert does not collect, transmit, or store personal information of users, and the system is completely anonymous,” Maryland Contact Tracing Unit Director Dr. Katherine Feldman wrote in the release. “We’re asking Marylanders to add their smartphones to the fight against COVID-19 by using MD COVID Alert.”

The system is compatible with D.C.’s exposure notifications system, along with those in nine other jurisdictions, including New York, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. It is not currently compatible with Virginia’s COVIDWISE, though that’s expected to change “in the near future,” according to the Maryland Department of Health.

The Maryland Department of Health did not immediately respond to questions from DCist/WAMU, including a request for comment about how many opt-ins and downloads the system has received so far.