Rhode Island Rolls Out 'Crush COVID' App

PROVIDENCE, RI — After weeks of development, Rhode Island's coronavirus app is ready to use. It is believed to be the first of its kind in the country and is available in English and Spanish, Gov. Gina Raimondo said.

The app, called "Crush COVID RI," is free to download from the app store and Google Play. Raimondo said it brings together all coronavirus-related services in Rhode Island in one convenient place, including test ordering, symptom tracking, travel logs, housing needs for safe self-quarantining or health care workers and more, as well as the latest information and the governor's daily news conferences.

"Every single day you will be prompted to take a survey. Do you have a fever? Do you have symptoms?" Raimondo said, adding that she downloaded the app Monday.

Rhode Islanders are asked to download the app and enable location services to keep a log of where they have traveled each day. All location data will be stored on the individual's phone, instead of a database, and the data cannot be accessed by the Rhode Island Department of Health, app developer Infosys or anyone else, Raimondo said. After 20 days, the data will be deleted.

"It's only on your phone. And it's only if you enable it," Raimondo said. "[It's] not stored in a database ... [It's] on your phone, automatically deleted after 20 days and available only to you."

If someone tests positive for COVID-19, a contact tracer will reach out and request the location data. The person then has the option to decline, read the data to the contact tracer over the phone or share the data. If the data is shared with the department, it will be identified only with an ID number, not the person's name.

Data cannot be tracked in real-time in this initial version, Raimondo added.

While use of the app is voluntary, it will work best if everyone downloads it, the governor said, saying that she hopes for more than 90 percent of Rhode Islanders to participate, but that "any amount is helpful ... every little bit will help."

"Nobody is not to make you do this," the governor said. "I am ask you to do this. ... These systems only work as far as everybody is using them. We all have a right to our privacy ... But in this virus, we are all connected."

Because this is only the first version of the app, there will likely be glitches, Raimondo said. Users are asked to report issues and requests on the Department of Health's website. An updated version is expected to be rolled out in approximately a month.

For those without access to a smartphone, many of the resources available on the app can also be found on the department's website. In addition, the COVID-19 hotline is still operational at 401-222-8022.

Child care

Rhode Island is still on track to reopen child care centers June 1, Raimondo said, though there is much still to be done to meet the deadline. The state will distribute 50,000 surgical masks to the state's 900 total child cares centers, both at-home and larger facilities.

The state is working with operators of child care centers to prepare for the opening date, ensuring the safety of kids and employees.