COVID-19: Recruitment Of Contact Tracing Staff Continues In Fairfax City

Press release from the City of Fairfax:

07/16/2020

The Fairfax Health District has brought on close to 150 staff to help with contact tracing since June, with dozens more to be added in coming weeks in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. But with the need to fill approximately 400 positions, more Fairfax residents are being encouraged to apply.

“Although we’ve had good response to our recruitment efforts so far, we would like to see more local residents in our applicant pool,” said Fairfax Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu. “For contact tracing to be most effective, we need people who know the community well and can translate that knowledge in ways that can connect with people from diverse backgrounds.”

Contact tracing involves finding people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 and providing guidance to prevent them from spreading it. Contact tracing is one of many trusted public health tools used to prevent further spread of contagious diseases. It has long been used for other contagious diseases like measles and tuberculosis (TB). Currently, contact tracing is one important part of how Fairfax can “box in the virus.”

In the early weeks of the pandemic, the health district focused its contact tracing efforts on cases in high-risk exposure areas like long-term care facilities and other health care settings. But in anticipation of an increase in cases as Virginia’s phased reopening continues, the health district has worked to expand its contact tracing outreach.

Earlier this summer, Fairfax County Health Department partnered with the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI) to expand its workforce of contact tracers, case investigators and community health workers. These staff will be employees of IPHI and will be deployed to assist with the Health Department’s contact tracing operation. IPHI is actively seeking individuals with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds to help share and reinforce important health messages.

Information on available opportunities and how to apply can be found on the IPHI careers page of their website. Candidates must be willing to work onsite at locations designated by the Health Department, where necessary precautions will be taken to help ensure a safe work environment. Candidates must be proficient in the use of mobile phones, tablets, and Microsoft Office applications.

Read more on the Health Department website.

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.