To track how the coronavirus spreads, D.C. is looking to hire an army of contact tracers.
The Contact Trace Force jobs involve speaking remotely with those who have had the virus and with others who have come into close contact with those who have had it, said Ventris Gibson, director of the D.C. Department of Human Resources.
The ideal candidate is “someone who is really good at deriving information from some individuals who are anxious about this or hesitant,” she said, adding that the person should be sympathetic “in receiving the information and providing next steps.”
Other desirable characteristics include exceptional customer service skills and attention to detail. Gibson said D.C. residents are being sought for the jobs.
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The city already has 65 contact tracers but it hopes to increase that to 200 by mid-May and eventually to as many as 900.
With those 65 tracers, about 70% of confirmed cases have been traced. Gibson said the goal is to trace 100% of cases.
The initial employment period is 13 months, “and we are hopeful that we will conquer [COVID-19] by then,” Gibson said. The starting salary is $51,059.
The jobs are listed as Investigator (Contact Trace Force) and Lead Investigator (Contact Trace Force) on the city’s careers website.
In all, contact tracing “helps us to ensure we identify health risks, that we educate the public, that we prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 and, ultimately, prevent hospitalization and death,” Gibson said.