Your cell phone may be the latest device to alert you to urgent COVID-19 news.
On Wednesday, the Wolf Administration authorized the use of the Wireless Emergency Alert system to transmit what it calls "Important public messages about the COVID-19 pandemic."
The alerts, which are more commonly associated with severe weather and missing persons reports, will be used by the state to send targeted information to areas where targeted messaging is deemed necessary, as in the case of areas experiencing spikes in case numbers.
The State says the alert messages will provide information on staying at home and available testing sites.
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“WEA is one more way to reach as many Pennsylvanians as we can to provide timely information on COVID-19,” Governor Tom Wolf said. “This tool is another tool in our toolkit to fight the pandemic and unite against COVID.”
The FCC says the WEA system has been used almost 56,000 times to send warnings about weather, missing persons and other emergency situations. The system was launched in 2012.