NY Will Hire Contact Tracing ‘Army’ Of 17,000 To Battle Coronavirus – Cuomo

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a Thursday press conference that the state will hire thousands of contact tracers (who notify people who have been exposed to COVID-19) as part of the system being developed to help the state return to everyday life, as coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline.

KEY FACTS

Between 6,400 and 17,000 tracers will be hired based on projected cases, Cuomo said.

The contract tracing system is being developed in partnership with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who pledged $10 million to help fund the effort, and Johns Hopkins University.

Cuomo said New York is creating the contract tracing “playbook” that will be shared with New Jersey and Connecticut.

In order to become a contact tracer, people will need to go through training and pass an online exam, Cuomo said.

Contact tracing will be a three step process: after a person tests positive, they will be interviewed about contacts from the previous 14 days, and then those contacts will be isolated for 14 days, according to Cuomo.

New York City alone is hiring 1,000 contact tracers with a “healthcare background,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio, who joined Cuomo’s press conference via video call.

Crucial quote

“How can we begin to loosen these restrictions and begin reopening the economy?” asked Bloomberg during the press conference via video chat. “One of the most important steps we have to take to reopen the economy as safely as possible is to create a system of contact tracing. When social distancing is relaxed, contact tracing is our best hope for isolating the virus when it appears, and keeping it isolated.”

Big number

4,681. That’s how many people tested positive for coronavirus Wednesday, Cuomo said. “It’s not rocket science to do contact tracing on an individual basis, the problem is the scale,” said Cuomo, adding, “How do you communicate with 4,681 people, trace back everyone they’ve been in contact with for 14 days?”

Key background

New York is the hardest-hit by coronavirus in the United States. As of Thursday, over 305,000 cases have been confirmed and over 23,000 New Yorkers have died, and Cuomo said the hospitalization rate and number of deaths continues to decline. Cuomo has emerged on the national stage as a leader amid the crisis (he has been criticized, however, for his handling of nursing homes and prisons). Bloomberg has committed $10 million to developing New York’s tracing program. CDC guidelines state that a close contact of a person infected with coronavirus “was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 30 minutes starting from 48 hours before illness onset until the time the patient is isolated.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/04/30/ny-will-hire-contact-tracing-army-of-17000-to-battle-coronavirus-cuomo-says/#25e0e7fe1bf3