The Washington state solution is explained here: "There is a new way to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in Washington — Your smartphone."
Personally, I'd like to have the "location notification" included in the app, but the majority of people don't like the idea of someone tracking their location — especially teenagers. Yes, there is a different parent app for that!
It is just another tool in the toolbox for people to watch their behaviors and better understand the spread of the disease in their community. Maybe if they are getting pinged with notifications it will help convince them to stay home and not venture out so much.
