New York City is hiring 1,000 contact tracers to build a network that will trace the spread of coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in a press conference this morning.
“That’s what we’re going to build in the month of May: a contact-tracing network in this city like never been seen before on a vast scale. Every time somebody tests positive, immediately we can swing into action, figure out who were their close contacts, get those people tested too, isolate anyone who needs isolation," he said.
Here's what the job entails: Contact tracers will do interviews to determine key contacts of New Yorkers who test positive for Covid-19, follow up with those contacts and arrange for their testing and potential isolation.
“They’ll help make sure that the steps that are needed are glued together,” he said.
The city is looking for “talented, experienced, health workers” to “lend their talents to this fight” and work alongside current city healthcare personnel and others trained from a variety of city agencies.
“We are hiring immediately and we are hiring through the month of May,” de Blaiso said.