Kate Brown Announces Oregon’s Contact Tracing Program Will Be Off The Ground By End Of Year

Oregon Governor Kate Brown held a joint press conference with the head of the Oregon Health Authority on Thursday morning to make an exciting announcement regarding the state’s contact tracing program.⁣
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“As the state expands its arsenal of tools to combat Covid-19, contact tracing will play a huge role in saving many Oregonian’s lives,” said Governor Brown. “Thanks to the tireless work of many over the past year, our program is progressing ahead of schedule. It is my great joy to announce that we have finalized the job description for Contact Tracing Director, meaning we can start our search before the fall. In addition, we have narrowed the logo options down to a final list of five designs.“⁣
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Contact tracing requires a large number of dedicated staff to track down contacts of people with new Covid diagnoses in an attempt to stop community spread of the virus. While the state has earmarked funding to hire such a workforce, hiring cannot begin until a director is chosen. When asked when the program will finally kick off, Governor Brown was optimistic. “If everything goes right, and I mean we really nail this, we’re looking at getting this program started in December.”