COVID-19 exposure alerts system shuts down in the majority of U.S. states

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Effective May 11th, 2023, COVID-19 was no longer considered a Public Health Emergency in the U.S. As a result, the COVID-19 Exposure Notifications System (ENS) responsible for letting you know when you have most likely been in contact with someone who has tested positive, is being shut down in the majority of states.

The COVID-19 Exposure Notification System (ENS) revolutionized the way in which public health officials fought against the pandemic by making it possible for users to receive alerts on their smartphones once their device detected that it had been in close proximity to an individual who had recently tested positive and reported their status through the system. This allowed for those that were potentially exposed to take swift action and get tested.
This was possible largely thanks to the efforts of Apple and Google in the early days of the pandemic, both of which raced to develop a unified approach to exposure notifications. It was initially unveiled in April 2020, but it wasn’t until September of that same year that the feature was fully integrated into numerous Android and iOS devices through OS updates.
Once a feature used by a total of 28 states, as the pandemic restrictions loosened so did states’ response to implementing exposure notification solutions. Finally, as Apple, Google and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) discontinued their support and servers, so did the remaining states that were still making use of it.

Thanks to the utilization of the ENS, though, the expertise and know-how acquired will pave the way for a more efficient and effective public health system in the future. There is no longer a need to start from square one, since a solid foundation has already been established. To that, APHL Program Manager of National Server Operations, Emma Sudduth added:

The collaboration between private technology companies and public health in this endeavor made a far stronger solution. Learning from this experience and growing these established relationships will strengthen public health.

As we move forward and look to the future, it is important to remember the role that technology played in our every day lives during the pandemic. We often think of this being limited to video conferencing and how being connected through social media allowed us to stay active and productive. However, the use of technology for exposure alerts proves that when working together towards a common goal, incredible things can be created.

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