TUESDAY, Dec. 8, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A smartphone tool to alert people of possible COVID-19 exposure will become available in California on Thursday.

Officials said the voluntary tool uses Bluetooth wireless signals to detect when two phones are within 6 feet (1.8 meters) of each other for at least 15 minutes, the Associated Press reported.

If a user tests positive for COVID-19, they will receive a verification code they can use to send an anonymous alert to other users who may have been exposed over the past 14 days.

The tool’s introduction comes as California’s COVID-19 cases soar and new restrictions are imposed, the AP reported.

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