Contact tracing leadership change costing city delays, say involved parties

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to yank oversight of contact tracing from the health department he’s at odds with has delayed the virus-fighting measure by at least a week — precious time the city can hardly afford, according to an official involved in the initial effort.

Amy Dixon, a consultant who was in the midst of assisting the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to bring on 1,000 contact tracers, said last week’s leadership change stalled the process.

“In this transition, time was lost in interviewing possible candidates, period. At least a week,” Dixon said in an interview Monday afternoon.

City officials contacted her several weeks ago, when de Blasio made clear he wanted to hire an army of people to interview Covid-19-positive New Yorkers to ascertain their prior whereabouts. The effort is intended to track sources of infection and slow its rapid spread throughout the city.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2020/05/12/contact-tracing-leadership-change-costing-city-delays-say-involved-parties-1283485

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The campaign for the 2021 Mayor's Race began a year ago; I think a lot of NYC Democrats will be happy to have a replacement for De Blasio.

[Igel]

1. NY State yesterday had over 1700 new positive test results.

It'll take more than a day to do good contact tracing for any one of them.

That's if you have somebody you can find easily. And who trusts you. Has the time, because they're not at work. And where you have a common language.

Then there are all those not tested. Who won't want to be tested. With no way to compel their testing.