What is effectiveness of Palm Beach County's new contact tracing app?
What is effectiveness of Palm Beach County's new contact tracing app?
Contact 5 investigator Michael Buczyner looks into the effectiveness of Palm Beach County's $775,000 new contact tracing app and whether the price tag is worth the expense.
<<âWE HAVE TO TRY EVERYTHINGTHAT WE CAN TRYâ PALM BEACHCOUNTY HAS A NEW TOOL IN ITSARSENAL&âITCONTACT TRACINGâ TO BATTLEBACK - AGAINST COVID.âIFTHEREHELP THIS COMMUNITY, WE NEEDTO TRY ITâ WITH JUST A QUICKDOWNLOAD&âWEOUR CONSTITUENTS TO OPEN THISAPP UP WHEN THEY GO OUT INTOPUBLICâ PALM BEACH COUNTYMAYOR DAVE KERNERĂIS HOPINGTO STOP THE SPREAD.
:âCOVID19 WILL ONLY BE BEAT BY THECOMMUNITY AT LARGE." ITCALLED COMBAT COVIDĂAND THECOUNTY RECENTLY PURCHASED THEAPP FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD - FROMA LOCAL APP DEVELOPER FOR 775-THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THE EXPOSURENOTIFICATION SYSTEM WORKS BYSHARING AN ANONYMOUS KEY VIABLUETOOTH WITH OTHER NEARBYPHONES THAT HAVE THE APP.
TESTPOSITIVE FOR COVIDĂINDICATEIT ON THE APPĂAND ITANONYMOUSLY NOTIFIES OTHERSTHAT YOU CAME IN CONTACT WITHDURING THE PREVIOUS 2-WEEKS.
APROMISING TOOL IN THE FIGHT TOSTOP THE SPREADĂBUT ASCONTACT 5 DISCOVERED - ONLYXXXX PEOPLE HAVE DOWNLOADED ITâHOW DO YOU EXPECT THIS TOWORK WITH WHAT APPEAR TO BE SOFEW PEOPLE ACTUALLY USINGTHISââI EXPECT THE COUNTY TOSTART EMBRACING THETECHNOLOGY.
IT'S ONLY BEENAROUND A COUPLE OF WEEKS."MAYOR KERNER TOLD MEMIAMI-DADE COUNTY ALSOPURCHASED THE APP.âWETALKING OVER 60% OF THEPOPULATION WOULD PROBABLY HAVETO TAKE IT UP TO MAKE ITWORTHWHILEâ DOCTOR TERRYADIRIMĂA PUBLIC HEALTHEXPERT WHO WORKED AS A SENIORHEALTH OFFICIAL FOR THEFEDERAL GOVERNMENT - TOLDCONTACT 5 - SHE HADNABOUT THE APP UNTIL WE ASKEDHER ABOUT IT - AND ITSEFFECTIVENESS GIVEN THE NUMBEROF DOWNLOADS.âYOU NEED ACRITICAL MASS OF PEOPLE; THEYWOULD NEED OVER A MILLIONPEOPLE TO TAKE THIS APP UPBEFORE IT WOULD EVEN BE USEFULIN THE PALM BEACH COUNTYCOMMUNITYââOUT OF THE $261-MILLION OF CARES ACT FUNDINGWE RECEIVED, TO INVEST$800,000 OF THAT INTO NEWTECHNOLOGY THAT CAN SAVESLIVESĂIAPOLOGIZE FOR THAT, ITO ASK MY CONSTITUENCY TODOWNLOAD THE APP AND BE APARTNER IN ITâ THE APPDEVELOPER DISPUTES THE 60-PERCENT FIGUREĂCITING ASTUDY THAT FOUND EVEN WITH LOWNUMBER OR USERS THERE CAN BE AâREDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OFCORONAVIRUS CASES AND DEATHâHE TOLD ME IFâWE CAN SAVE 100PEOPLE OR 500 OR 1000 FROMCATCHING THIS AND POSSIBLYDYING FROM IT, THEN WEA GREAT JOBââTHERE ARECRITICS THAT SAY THE APP ISNOT THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE &MY QUESTION TO THEM IS ARE WEBETTER OFF NOT HAVING IT ORHAVING ITĂAND I THINKANOTHER TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOXââMAYOR KERNER TOLD ME THECOUNTY WILL SOON START APUBLIC SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO GETTHE MESSAGE OUT ABOUT THE APP.WE PUT A LINK TO THE APP ONOUR WEBSITEĂWPTV DOT- COM.IN PALM BEACH COUNTY, MB,WPTV, NEWS CHANNEL 5â