The state of Nevada is launching an app on Monday that will allow people who have tested positive for COVID-19 to discreetly notify their close contacts of a possible exposure, a potentially significant boon in a tourism-driven state that has until this point had little ability to contact trace its visitors and at times even struggled to trace all its residents.

The contact tracing app, called COVID Trace, will be entirely opt-in, meaning that not only will users have to download the app in order to take advantage of its functionality, but those who test positive for COVID-19 will have to take an additional step in the app to notify those they may have come in contact with of a possible exposure. 

Julia Peek, deputy administrator for the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, framed the app as a key tool in helping the state combat the spread of COVID-19 during a presentation of the app to reporters on Friday.

“Please help your neighbors, friends, family, stay safe and healthy by downloading the COVID Trace and encouraging others to download it as well,” Peek said. “It’s an awesome opportunity for Nevadans, and our visitors to do more, one more thing to continue the fight against COVID to protect themselves and move Nevada to reopening fully again.”

Read the entire article at The Nevada Independent.

This portion of the article is shared as part of our collaboration with The Nevada Independent. This story was originally published on Friday, Aug. 21 and written by Megan Messerly.