FAQ COVID app

About SoCo COVID-19 Check App

What is this app?

The mobile application will be used by employers and employees to screen for COVID-19 symptoms before employees report for work. It is available for download on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store free of charge.

The SoCo COVID-19 Check app was created by the Sonoma County Department of Health Services and their Public Health Officer to provide a wellness check for employees and employers to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace and the community. With the app, employees and employers complete a 15 second wellness check and verification to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace and community.

The SoCo COVID-19 Check app is not intended to give medical advice. If you need medical advice, please contact your primary care provider. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.

The SoCo COVID-19 Check app comes with a newsfeed that conveniently provides up to date state and local information about COVID-19.

Why am I being asked to use this app?

As part of the risk mitigations measures to reopen the County of Sonoma and to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace and the community, the Sonoma County Health Officer is requiring the daily use of this app by employees and employers going to work.

The app is the quickest way to perform the employee self-assessment as well as the employer verification of staff as they report to work. Both the employee and employer portions of the app take less than 15 seconds to perform after the first-time set-up has been completed.

The ongoing public health concern presented by the COVID-19 pandemic requires significant changes to how employers and employees engage with each other and the public. The app will help employers and employees stay safe as businesses open and we return to work.

Is use of the app required?

Employers should be using the app or online reporting system. If you do not have access to the internet or a smart phone, the app allows your employer to collect the required information from you. If an employer does not have access to the internet or smart phone, an alternative system of their own choosing may be utilized as long as it meets the same purpose of employee and employer assessments and as long as it allows the electronic reporting of equivalent data to be reported to the County in aggregate form.

Please note: Effective June 8, 2020, the full employee and employer version of the App is available for download on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

What questions will I be asked?

Before reporting to work, employees will answer two questions in the app. Based on the employee responses, the app either displays a Wellness Check verification screen or directs the user to contact their primary care provider or contact a community clinic to seek guidance before going to work. Employees will show the wellness badge to their manager when they report to their worksite.

Is the App available in Spanish?

Yes, the App and online reporting system are available in Spanish.

Please note: We are aware there are some updates needed to the Spanish version and are working on them now.

Data Collection and Use

Is the County collecting and tracking my personal medical information?

The app does not collect or store any information that could identify users. It does not track user location. The app does not give medical advice.

How will the data collected be used and where will be it be stored?

Our only goal is to keep Sonoma County as safe as possible. Anonymous responses will be stored on IBM’s secure public cloud for businesses. The information will be stored for 45 days and will only be accessible to COVID-19 designated personnel in the Sonoma County Department of Health Services.

The information that employers and employees provide will be collected and processed by the Sonoma County Health Department. This data, in aggregate, will be provided to the California Department of Health. The app does not collect or store any information that could identify users. It does not track user location.

The Sonoma County Public Health Officer will utilize this anonymous data along with other COVID-19 statistical data to help determine if mitigation measures are being effective in controlling the virus.

No information will be shared for commercial purposes.

Can I be identified in this app?

No, you cannot be identified by this app. All information in the employee self-assessment is anonymous, and no personally identifiable information (PII) is asked for in any questions on the survey. The employee is only asked for the zip code of their employer, the industry they work in, and their age range (17 and under, 18-64, and 65 and older).

Can I be tracked by this app?

No, you cannot be tracked in this app. SoCo COVID-19 Check app does not access your phone’s location services, nor does it request access when you set up the app.

What is collected in the employer portion of the app?

The employer portion of the app takes less than 15 seconds after initial setup. Other than the name and location of the business, the employer is only reporting verification of wellness for the arriving employees. The employer does not report any identity information. There are 3 simple questions in the employer section relating to verification of the employee self-assessment, temperature and appropriate face covering.

Once the 3 questions are answered, the app sends the data to the County without any additional effort from the company/employer.

Accessing the SoCo COVID-19 Check App

Do I need to download this app to my phone? (Or just my employer?)

The employee self-assessment app is currently available on both Apple and Google App Stores and can be downloaded onto your Apple IOS or Android smartphone or tablet free of charge.

What happens if my employer does not have a smart phone or tablet that can run the SoCo COVID-19 Check app?

If neither you nor your employer have access to Apple or Android smartphones or tablets, you may complete the employee survey as well as the employer staff verification via the Internet. This process takes a bit longer to complete daily because some questions that are asked only during the first app setup when the Soco COVID-19 App is used, must be asked each time when the Internet version is used.

An internet version is available for both employees and employers

How do I take the employee self-check survey if I do not have a smartphone?

Your employer has the option in the SoCo COVID-19 Check app to ask employees the self-assessment questions in the event employees are unable to take the survey. The employee questions only come up in the employer portion of the app if the employee was unable to complete the self-assessment. In this way, employees can complete their screening at their place of employment.

How does my employer know if I completed the self-assessment?

Once you have completed the wellness assessment in the SoCo COVID-19 Check app, the app will display a wellness badge to show your employer when you report to work. The wellness badge will indicate the date you took the survey. If, however, you report symptoms or exposure to the virus, you will be directed to contact your primary care provider before reporting to work.

How can I get new versions of the app?

Simply check the app store from your smartphone or tablet running the app. If there is a newer version of the app available, the App Store will indicate “update available”. If you are running the most up to date version, the App store will give you the “open” option.

Screening for Symptoms of COVID-19

How do symptoms get on the list?

The symptoms list in the SoCo COVID-19 Check app is based on current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) symptoms as well as the most prevalent symptoms occurring in the Sonoma County COVID-19 positive population.

The list is approved by the Sonoma County Public Health Officer, Dr. Sundari Mase and may be updated based on new information from CDC.