By Jessica Mathews/News@whmi.com


Livingston County residents and others across Michigan are being made aware of a new text message campaign designed to encourage use of the state’s MI COVID Alert app.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently confirmed the launch of a statewide text outreach campaign aimed at increasing residents’ awareness of the state’s new exposure notification mobile app, MI COVID Alert. The text messages, which began this month, are said to make it simple to connect to and download the app. Each text includes information about the app and a link to the landing page on the state of Michigan coronavirus website with more information about how it works, details about how the app keeps user information anonymous, and links to Apple and Google app stores.

The state says the no cost, easy-to-use, anonymous app has been downloaded nearly half a million times—a figure that represents a little more than 9.5% of 18- to 64-year-olds in Michigan—in the initial weeks of the statewide launch.

The texts encouraging Michiganders to download the app are sent to individuals based on publicly available resident contact information. Officials noted that because MI COVID Alert users are anonymous, some individuals who already downloaded the app may still receive a text message.

A press release stated that early text messages included a short link to healthymi.site/alert4 directing residents to the MI COVID Alert landing page. All new messages now display the link: michigan.gov/MICOVIDAlert.

More information can be found through the provided web link.