Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard Encourages WA: Sign Up For COVID-19 App

SEATTLE — Since the evergreen state released its coronavirus exposure app, Wa Notify, it has been downloaded and activated on nearly 1.4 million phones across Washington. However, the more people have the app, the more effective it is at alerting users who may have been exposed to the virus.

That's where Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard steps in.

The rock legend and Seattle-native has teamed up with the Washington State Department of Health for a new PSA in which he explains how to activate the app, and why he's installed it on his own phone.

According to organizers, the more people who sign up for WA Notify, the better: modeling of three counties showed that even a small percentage of people using the app can still reduce the number of COVID-19 infections and subsequent deaths.

At the time of the app's unveiling, Gov. Jay Inslee described it as an important tool that could help contain the spread of the virus.

"Secure, private and anonymous exposure notification technology is an important tool for Washington," Inslee said in a statement. "We've deployed WA Notify in 29 languages so as many Washington residents as possible can protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities. I encourage everyone to start using WA Notify today so we can continue to work together to contain the virus."

In the following week, more than 1 million Washingtonians signed up to use the app.

Once activated, the app interfaces with other phones that also have it installed, trading codes over Bluetooth that are randomized to maintain anonymity. If one user later tests positive for the coronavirus, the program then notifies every other user who was near the infected patient during their exposure period.

The program is voluntary and organizers have repeatedly stressed that it is anonymous, and does not track a user's personal information or where they have been going.