(WASHINGTON DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser established the DC Contact Trace Force to hire hundreds of additional tracers at DC Health.

“An effective response requires widespread contact tracing so that we know who has the virus and who has been exposed to it,” said Mayor Bowser. “When it comes time to reopen our city, this team of contact tracers is going to play a critical role in keeping Washingtonians safe and our city moving forward.”

DC Health currently has about 65 contact tracers, and about 70% of confirmed cases have been traced. The Force is in the process of increasing that team to about 200 tracers, with up to an additional 700 tracers to be hired through Phase One of re-opening the District.

The Contact Trace Force will help contain the virus and mitigate community spread through a five-step process:

• Test
• Isolate
• Trace
• Quarantine
• Connect to Services

For more information about the District’s response to COVID-19, please visit coronavirus.dc.gov.