La. will have contact tracers ready for May 15 - targeted partial reopening date; Apply for a job here
BATON ROUGE - In an initial wave, some 250 contact tracers will be hired to locate and warn people who may have interacted with a COVID-19 patient as Louisiana moves toward re-opening.
In a news conference Friday, the state asked for people interested in working as a contact tracer to apply via email: contacttracing@la.gov.
Tracers will use patient information to make phone calls and alert those the patients have encountered and perhaps exposed. Calls will be made to people during business hours.
About 70-75 contact tracers are already working within the state. The additional tracers will take the state to more than 300 people working to warn of possible exposure. If needed, a total of 700 contact tracers could be hired.
The state said it is working with third-party companies to setup phone banks. Accenture and Salesforce were hired this week to manage the process, which will use Louisiana-based call centers in Lafayette and New Orleans.
Training for the contact tracers will be managed by LSU’s Stephenson Disaster Management Institute.
The state agency managing unemployment, will also be involved.
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"We are also working with Louisiana Workforce Commission and other statewide partners helping to connect Louisianans with jobs," the governor said Friday (May 8).
The first group of contact tracers will be ready to work May 15.
Contact tracers must have graduated high school, feel comfortable having a telephone conversation with someone and also entering data. They must be compassionate, able to protect and honor patient privacy, and complete a very detailed training session.
To apply, send an email to contacttracing@la.gov.
The state said the 250 additional people will be hired by the two hiring agencies; Wage information was not released.
Click HERE for the latest on coronavirus in Louisiana.
State will move from having 70 contact tracers currently to at least 250 contact tracers. Plan in place to have up to 700 contact tracers, if nec. @LouisianaGov says state will hire however many people they need.
— Johnston von Springer (@johnstonvon) May 8, 2020
Those 250 will be training next week
.@AlexBillioux now detailing the state’s plan for contact tracing and testing moving forward
— Johnston von Springer (@johnstonvon) May 8, 2020
“As we move into the next phases, it’s more critical than ever to interview every case (person with) of #COVID19”
What happens when a contact tracer reaches out to you?
— Johnston von Springer (@johnstonvon) May 8, 2020
You will likely be asked who you came in contact with 48 hours before symptoms appeared and of course after testing positive for #COVID19
If you are contacted by a contact tracer, we really need you to take it seriously and stay at home - @AlexBillioux speaking at @LouisianaGov daily press conference
— Johnston von Springer (@johnstonvon) May 8, 2020
Up to this point, @AlexBillioux says, from March 8th to April 30th, as we’re expanding overall testing, the % of tests that come back positive is decreasing.
— Johnston von Springer (@johnstonvon) May 8, 2020
“We’re making headway”