PROVIDENCE – Due to an overrun system, high numbers of close contacts of infected people and a rise in COVID-19 cases in Rhode Island, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo said the state is looking to immediately hire 100 additional contact tracers.
These additional contact tracers will add to the R.I. Department of Health’s current staff of 300, whose full-time job is conducting contact tracing. Out of these 300 people, 80 of them are dedicated solely to K-12 schools in Rhode Island.
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Raimondo said that anyone with customer service experience with availability on nights and weekends for the next six months should apply and join the cause.
“We need you. We need you now,” said Raimondo, who said the jobs have competitive pay.
One of the largest issues, the governor said, is that the contact tracing system is currently overrun. It’s not just due to the rise of COVID-19 cases, but also because infected Rhode Islanders have a long list of close contacts.
“When we call you and ask you for your close contacts, it should be a pretty short list. A handful of people,” said Raimondo.
But the reality, she said, is that people are having closer to 50 close contacts that these tracers have to call to have quarantine and get tested for the coronavirus.
“No one should have 50 contacts right now,” said Raimondo.
The governor’s press conference comes as cases of COVID-19 in Rhode Island increased by 425, with four more deaths, on Tuesday, the R.I. Department of Health said Wednesday.
“It is not a good news story,” said Raimondo. “I’ll say today, we’re in a bad place.”
Cases in the state have totaled 31,944 to date, an increase of 499 from figures reported Tuesday, accounting for both the day-to-day increase, as well as data revisions for previous days.
Deaths in the state due to the virus have totaled 1,192 to date.
Hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19 totaled 136, a decline from 168 one day prior. Of those hospitalized, 18 were in the intensive care unit and eight were on ventilators.
There were 13,397 tests processed Tuesday, with an overall positive rate of 3.2%. When excluding both repeat positive and repeat negative test results, the positive rate was 16%.
There have been 1.09 million tests conducted in the state to date on 426,355 individuals.
This story has been updated to include information from the governor’s press conference.
