BERLIN

Germany launched a coronavirus tracing app Tuesday to help stem the spread of novel coronavirus. 

The Corona-Warn-App would help authorities quickly identify and warn users about possible exposure to the virus, Health Minister Jens Spahn told a news conference.

“This app is safe, it’s voluntary and easy to handle,” he said, stressing that users will remain anonymous and will not provide personal data to authorities.

The smartphone app will use Bluetooth technology and remember encounters between people by exchanging encrypted random IDs between devices.

If a user tests positive for COVID-19 and wants to inform others, the app will alert other users who had been near the infected person in the last 14 days.

User information will be stored on smartphones and not on central servers to protect privacy.