196 - Contact Tracing for COVID-19 in New York City
New York City’s contact tracing program, officially launched on June 1, is one of the largest in the nation. Dr. Jay Varma, the mayor’s senior adviser for public health, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the trained workforce of 4,000 people that is now reaching more than 90% of new cases in the city. The program also helps provide services like dog walking and grocery delivery so that people can isolate safely at home. As COVID cases start to climb again in New York, contact tracing and robust testing remain critical aspects of the city’s public health response that can help delay or avoid shutdowns.