Cold and flu season. More time spent indoors. Holiday travel (hopefully within the surrounding region).

These are all reasons it’s more important than ever to download COVID Alert NY, New York’s exposure notification app, if you haven’t done so already!

We launched the app at the beginning of October along with the New York State Department of Health, and with support from Google, Apple, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and many other research and technology partners.

And while we’re encouraged by how many New Yorkers have downloaded it, this app will be increasingly effective the more people use it — that’s why, as we enter the time of year when viruses tend to spread more easily and as New Yorkers are parsing their options for traveling and visiting loved ones safely for the holidays, we need everyone to do their part and download COVID Alert NY to help stop the spread.

Our own Julie Samuels joined Dr. Kelly Henning, Public Health program lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies, for a video on how the app can provide a crucial added layer of support in our collective response at this important time:

The video follows Bloomberg Philanthropies’ new Instagram infographics that show how the app works:

Feel free to download these Instagram resources here to use them on your own account and share them with your networks. For more details on how the app works and protects your privacy, and why it’s an important tool in our fight, check out the blog post we wrote when the app launched in October. 

We hope all of you stay safe as we enter this cold weather period, and that you all take advantage of this critically important tool that can help protect you, your family, and your neighbors.

Photo credit: New York; statue of liberty in the sunset by cla78/Shutterstock