Rokmetro

05/05/2021

The University of Illinois was responsible for 2% of all COVID-19 tests performed in the United States in Fall of 2020, with over 1,444,900 tests. This helped the campus achieve a positivity rate of only 0.43%, making UIUC one of the safest places in the US from COVID-19.

03/17/2021

Safer Community offers a comprehensive COVID-19 solution. Our philosophy? Test often, identify those with positive test results, and remove them from circulation.

ROKMETRO is connecting the dots to unlock the potential of your campus community. We are building the first COVID-19 solution where data owners, aggregators, and users can easily share and access data in smart city ecosystems across the world.

12/22/2020

UW-Madison is deploying the Safer Badgers program to keep the campus safe in the spring semester.

This fall, UW-Madison has kept up a pace of 10,000 coronavirus tests every week, but an ambitious new plan for spring semester aims to boost those numbers.

10/09/2020

Having a plan is key to combating COVID-19 community spread. “Safer Illinois” is helping the University of Illinois keep its positivity rate low.

Does your University have a plan in place? Reach out to ROKMETRO to find out what you can do to keep your campus safe.

College campuses are coronavirus breeding grounds. They don’t have to be.

10/01/2020

Make sure to check your “Safer Illinois” app before heading out to take a COVID-19 test, as the app now shows the wait time at all the testing locations. The new feature further streamlines the testing process and makes it easier for community members to comply with the testing schedule.

Regular testing helps identify asymptomatic patients, as well as those who are infected but are not yet showing symptoms. These patients still have the ability to transmit the virus, so it’s imperative to isolate them as quickly as possible to minimize the community spread.

The “Safer” COVID-19 app continues to strive for better capabilities to help universities combat the pandemic. Reach out to ROKMETRO to find out what the app can do for your community!

09/25/2020

The term “Exposure Notification” has been buzzing around since COVID-19 has taken our world by storm. What does it mean and how does it work? You’re probably not the only person who has questions about it.

We invited Computer Engineering Professor Sanjay Patel to answer all of your pressing questions about exposure notifications. Professor Patel is an expert in user privacy and security issues, and has been instrumental in developing the exposure notification function in the Safer Illinois app. Make sure to check out the Q&A at https://www.rokmetro.com/blog/exposure-notification-faqs.

Exposure notification has become a familiar term since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, what is exposure notification and how does it work? We invited University of Illinois Computer Engineering professor and expert in security and privacy, Sanjay Patel, to answer some questions you

09/21/2020

Oh no! I’ve tested positive for COVID-19. Now what? The Safer Illinois app is here to help!

On your app home screen, there is a module called “Your Care Team.” It connects you with some local healthcare resources that can provide assistance and the next steps for your specific situation. For example, the OSF OnCall connect program members will check on you daily and provide further support when needed. The overall goal is to ensure the health and wellbeing of the campus community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Safer Illinois app not only helps guide you through the testing process, but also provides you the support needed after you test positive. ROKMETRO can help bring this comprehensive solution to your campus. Connect with us at https://www.rokmetro.com/.

09/15/2020

Why should I get tested for COVID-19 even though I’m not showing symptoms?

Asymptomatic patients can still transmit the virus to others. Some people might be spreading COVID-19 without realizing they are even infected. To curb that risk, the University of Illinois has been scheduling regular surveillance tests for students and faculty, so asymptomatic patients in the community can be quickly identified and isolated.

Connect with ROKMETRO at https://www.rokmetro.com/ to find out more about minimizing the risk of COVID-19 community transmission.

09/14/2020

The goal of Safer Illinois is to keep you safe from COVID-19. An important part of that is to stay informed about the number of new cases and the positivity rate in the campus community. The University of Illinois has provided a COVID-19 dashboard that’s available to the public: https://splunk-public.machinedata.illinois.edu/en-US/app/uofi_shield_public_APP/home

Here are some tips to help you better understand the dashboard statistics and graphics:
- Focus on the positivity rate for the past 7 days instead of the positivity rate of a single day, as the latter can be easily influenced by the number of tests performed.
- Notice the long-term trend. Fewer tests are performed on the weekend, so those daily numbers do not accurately represent the overall level of COVID-19 transmission.
- Compare the statistic to that of a larger community, such as county or state data, to get an idea of how well the spread within the campus community is contained.

Stay informed and safe with Safer Illinois! Learn more about bringing this app to your community at https://www.rokmetro.com/.

09/09/2020

Ever wonder what triggers the color on your health badge to change? Although it might seem somewhat random, the Safer Illinois app algorithm determines your risk and changes your health status based on a variety of factors. Here are a few examples:

-Exposure Notification: when your phone detects that you have been in close proximity with someone who tested positive, your badge will turn orange and a COVID-19 test is required to regain access to University buildings.
-Test results: When you receive a COVID-19 test result, your health badge status will change accordingly. If you test positive, the badge will go from orange to red; if you test negative, the badge will go from orange to yellow.
-Not taking a test: When you miss a required COVID-19 test, your badge will turn from yellow to orange as a preventative measure.

The app is designed to keep you and those around you safe by promoting frequent testing and rapidly isolating those who are at risk. The best way to ensure you have access to University facilities is to adhere to a regular testing schedule. Check out https://www.rokmetro.com/ to learn more about Safer Illinois.

09/03/2020

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has been at the center of our attention for months, much is still unknown about the virus. With the constantly evolving understanding, it’s hard to keep up-to-date with the latest rules and guidelines. Luckily, Safer Illinois is here to help!

The app includes regularly-updated county guidelines to help residents stay informed about what they can do to keep themselves and their community safe.

The highly transmittable nature of COVID-19 means that we must all do our part in order to minimize the overall risk. Safer Illinois is specifically designed for communities to stay informed and to work together. Get more information on bringing the solution to your community at https://www.rokmetro.com/.