COVID 19: Recommendations for Congressional Action to Support Equity-Focused Contact Tracing

With cases of COVID-19 rising in communities across the U.S., contact tracing is one part of the work that must be done to combat this virus. Equity-focused contact tracing is an essential, scientifically supported component of the containment strategy. As states quickly hire a contact tracing workforce, it is imperative that in their hiring, they focus on the need to do contact tracing in areas that have been hardest hit by the epidemic – particularly low-income communities and communities of color.

As Congress takes up additional legislation to address the COVID-19 crisis, we urge members to fully fund state contact tracing efforts, with specific resources focused on the communities most affected by the pandemic.