In addition to the social distancing and enhanced hygienic measures that have reshaped our daily life in light of the pandemic, Canadians can download the Government of Canada's
COVID Alert app
to help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The app works by sending random, anonymous codes to other people who have also activated it on their phones, resulting in a privacy-focused system for alerting users when they've come in close contact with someone with the virus.
To date, more than 5 million Canadians have downloaded the app, and more than 3,400 individuals have voluntarily declared a COVID-19 diagnosis triggering an alert to those who came in contact with them.
The Canadiens have given the app their endorsement, viewing it as an important tool in protecting people's health.
A recent study out of Oxford University
found that if 15% of the population used the app, COVID-19 infections and deaths could be reduced by 8% and 6%, respectively, when used in conjunction with manual contact tracing.
Of course, in addition to the important public health and safety outcomes that would result from using the app, there could be an added benefit for the Canadiens and their fans, too: after all, the faster we can defeat our viral adversary, the faster we can get back to watching the Habs battle their opponents at the Bell Centre.
To download the app: click here for iOS devices, and click here for Android devices.
Click here for more information from the Government of Canada.
