A pilot smartphone-based program that provides notification of COVID-19 exposure is now available to UC Riverside students and employees.

UCR began participating in the Exposure Notification System app, which is available as a feature on iPhones and an app on Android devices, Monday, Nov. 16. The system allows users to be notified if they have potentially been exposed to the virus through Bluetooth technology.

The campus is encouraging students who live on or near campus to add the notification system, as well as staff and faculty members who are regularly on campus.

Those who receive a notification are asked to call the UCR COVID-19 Wellness Hotline for information on testing.

UCR is among seven University of California campuses partnering with the California Department of Public Health on the new technology.

Health officials say it provides another layer of protection to slow the spread of the coronavirus along with social distancing, face coverings, and hand-washing.

Watch the video below to learn more.