The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) in partnership with aio Digital and the Hawaiʻi Executive Collaborative has launched AlohaSafe Alert, the free State of Hawaiʻi-approved exposure notification app to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The University of Hawaiʻi encourages students and employees to utilize the AlohaSafe Alert.
Once added to a smartphone, AlohaSafe Alert will send a notification within 48 hours when an app user comes into close contact—within six feet for at least 15 minutes—with an individual, who is also using the app and has tested positive for the virus in the past 14 days.
All of the data collected will be kept anonymous and only DOH will have access to it. Should an app user test positive for COVID-19, their identity is kept private from all other app users, even if they receive an alert.
“Masks, distance and vaccines are all valuable tools against COVID-19. The AlohaSafe Alert app is another important tool in the fight against COVID-19,” said Libby Char, director of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health. “This innovative app was developed for the community, by the community, and it has the potential to greatly increase the speed of the exposure notification process, allowing anyone who receives an alert to quickly self-quarantine and get tested if needed.”
“We encourage the members of our campus communities to participate by using the AlohaSafe Alert app to help keep our state safe,” UH Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Garret Yoshimi said. “We know first hand how apps such as this help in our fight against COVID-19. Each of us must do our part to help keep our community safe.”
AlohaSafe Alert was first piloted on Lānaʻi and in Hāna, Maui on November 17, and expanded to Maui County on December 16. The app has been downloaded more than 14,000 times.
