MDHHS breaks down contact tracing job position

Michigan Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun pledged health departments across the state $10 million to hire contact tracers.

MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE GOING TOHEALTH DEPARTMENTS ACROSSMICHIGAN... TO HIRECONTACT TRACERS.A JOB SOON TO BE IN HIGHDEMAND... AS COVID-19 CASESCONTINUE TO RISE.FOX 47'S MAUREEN HALLIDAY SPOKEWITH THE STATE HEALTHDEPARTMENT... TO SEEWHO CAN QUALIFY TO BE A CONTACTTRACER.LOOKLIVE: IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKSTHE INGHAM COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT WILL BE HIRINGCONTACTTRACERS AND I'M TOLD BY THESTATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ONLYSELECT APPLICANTS WILL BE HIRED."THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE SOMERANDOM PEOPLE OFF THE STREET.HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ARE GOINGTO BE LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALSWITH PUBLIC HEALTH BACKGROUNDS,NURSING, SOCIAL WORK, COMMUNITYHEALTH BACKGROUNDS."CONTACT TRACERS WOULD BERESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYINGSOMEONE IF THEY HAVE THE VIRUSAND ALL OFTHE PEOPLE THEY HAVE BEEN INCONTACT WITH."YOU MAY BE TELLING THEM FOR THEVERY FIRST TIME THAT THEY TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS.THEY MIGHT BE SCARED.

YOU'RECALLING THEIR CONTACTS.

SOMEPEOPLE MIGHT BE ANGRY THEY MAYNOT WANT TO ISOLATE.

THEY MIGHTHAVE QUESTIONS.

WE CALL POEPLEAND WE TELL THEM THEY HAVE TOQUARANITINE AND THEY SAY 'WELL ILIVE WITH SEVEN OTHER PEOPLE,WHAT SHOULD I DO?'

OR 'I DON'THAVE A WAY TO GET FOOD, WHATSHOULD I DO?'"BUTT"THE ISSUE IS WE HAVE TO STOPTHE CHAINS OF TRANSMISSION ANDTHE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT ISINDIVIDUALS WHO TEST POSITUVE TOISOLATE THEMSELVES FOR 14 DAYSAND THEN TO QUARANTINEALL OF THEIR CLOSE CONTACTS.HEALTH DEPARTMENTS SAY THEY WILLBE PICKY WITH HOW MANY PEOPLETHEY HIRE."THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OFINTEREST IN THIS WORK.MASSACHUSETTS, WHICH IS AA STATEWE RECENTLYTALKED TO HIRED SOMETHING LIKE ATHOUSAND CONTACT TRACERS AND ITHINK THEYHAD 40 THOUSAND APPLICATIONS."THE CONTACT TRACERS WILL HAVE TOMAKE CALLS-- BUT SOME PEOPLE AREAVOIDING THEIR PHONES.THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ISENCOURGAING EVERYONE TO PICK UPTHE PHONE WHEN THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT CALLS."WE'RE STILL HAVING CHALLENGESWITH PEOPLE NOT ANSERING THEPHONE, WRONG CONTACTINFORMATION THAT WERE RECEIVEDAT THE TIME THEY GOT THE TEST,AND PEOPLE NOT WANTING TO GIVEUSINFORMATION ABOUT THEIR CLOSECONTACTS."BUTT"ON THOSE PHONE CALLS WE TRY TOEXPLAIN TO PEOPLE THAT ALL OFTHE INFORMATION ISCONFIDENTIAL, THE GOVERNMENTDOESN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THEIRHEALTH INFORMATION, THATTHI SIS PURLEY TO PREVENT THESPREAD OF DISEASE."ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT IDEAL FORMANY---- HEALTH OFFICALS SAY THEBEST WAY TO AVOID THE SPREAD ISBYQUARANTINING."IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY 'OKAYI'M GOING TO QUARANTINE AND NTLEAVE MY HOUSE OF 14 DAYS.'

BUTIT'S A REAL COLLECTIVE ACTIONPROBLEM UNLESS EVERYBODY BEHAVESINTHE BEST INTEREST OF THECOMMUNITY THEN WE CAN'T MAKEPROGRESS."RIGHT NOW THERE ARE JOBAPPLICATIONS ONLINE FOR TEMPOARYCONTACT TRACERS IN INGHAMCOUNTY.

THE COUNTY TELL ME THEYWILL BE SENDING OUT OFFICIAL JOBAPPLICATIONS IN THE NEXT FEWWEEKS.

IN LANSING MAUREENHALLIDAY FOX 47 NEWS.THANK YOU MAUREEN.OTHER COUNTIES TELL US...THEY'RE NOT HIRING CONTACTTRACERS RIGHT NOW--BUT THAT COULD CHANGE IN THEFUTURE.WE WILL