What are contact tracers? And how many each state needs to safely reopen
What are contact tracers? And how many each state needs to safely reopen
As of May 20, every state in America has loosened the restrictions that governors and public health officials set to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Connecticut, the last state to begin re-opening, allowed outdoor dining spaces, offices, malls, and other spaces to begin seeing customers again on May 20.
But are states prepared for the influx of COVID-19 cases that may result from renewed public gatherings? One method state and local governments can use to control disease outbreaks without severely interrupting daily life is called contact tracing. Contact tracing, while the term may sound like it belongs in a medical textbook, is in fact a low-tech strategy: trained health workers, called "contact tracers," interview patients confirmed to have a disease and identify their close contacts (friends, family, coworkers, and so on). These contact tracers then call those contacts, inform the contacts that they have been exposed to a disease, help them get tested themselves, and, if necessary, help them acquire necessary resources to quarantine for two weeks.
Through this careful communication work, people in a community who have been exposed to COVID-19 may be identified and isolated, while the rest of the community can safely continue going to work and shopping for groceries. In South Korea, for example, public health officials used GPS tracking, credit card transactions, and other data to put together an automated contact tracing system that alerted South Koreans with text messages when they had potentially been exposed to the coronavirus. This system, along with aggressive and easily available testing, helped the country quickly control its outbreak. On a smaller scale in the U.S., local health departments in places such as Anne Arundel County, Maryland have mobilized resources and taken advantage of local community knowledge to keep outbreaks under control. Anne Arundel County, which pulled school nurses out of furlough to train them as contact tracers, was able to fully track all cases in the county by the end of April.
As the size and severity of COVID-19 outbreaks have varied greatly across the country, the size and severity of contact tracing strategies must vary in response. To examine needs in different regions, researchers at George Washington University's Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity built a Contact Tracing Workforce Estimator. This tool uses recent COVID-19 case counts in every state and county to estimate how many contact tracers must be employed in each region to quickly call, interview, and reach out to contacts of anyone who contracts COVID-19. The researchers started with a baseline requirement of 15 contact tracers per 100,000 people, then adjusted the need for every region based on the number of new cases that region has seen in the past two weeks. The assumption here is that, if a state traces all its cases and has all infected residents quarantined within 24 hours of those cases being identified, it is safe to reopen for the rest of the population.
In this story, Stacker lays out the baseline number of contact tracers needed and the number of contact tracers needed to address new cases in the past two weeks for every state, with the latter value based on new case counts between May 4 and May 18. We have also included the actual number of contact tracers employed in every state as of May 19, sourced from the public health data project Test and Trace. Finally, for additional context on the outbreak, we have included the total COVID-19 cases, tests, and fatalities in every state as of May 19, via the COVID Tracking Project.
"For contact tracing to be successful," says Dr. Candice Chen, an Associate Professor at George Washington University who works on the Workforce Estimator, "it really has to be a comprehensive approach." She explains that interviewing patients is only the beginning; for the strategy to be successful, people exposed to COVID-19 must have the space and resources to self-isolate: "If people can't stay home, in the end, you're not actually containing anything."
Read on to find out how your state shapes up, and, for more data and resources at the state and county level, check out the Contact Tracing Workforce Estimator itself.
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Alabama
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 763 (15.6 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 1,823 (37.3 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 120 (2.4 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 3,972
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 12,376
--- Tests completed: 157,566
--- Death toll: 504
Alaska
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 127 (17.2 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 127 (17.2 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 145 (19.8 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 17
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 399
--- Tests completed: 36,380
--- Death toll: 10
Arizona
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,083 (15.1 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 2,331 (32.5 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 60 (0.8 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 5,284
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 14,566
--- Tests completed: 161,571
--- Death toll: 704
Arkansas
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 493 (16.4 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 869 (28.8 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 200 (6.6 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 1,367
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 4,923
--- Tests completed: 93,701
--- Death toll: 102
California
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 5,960 (15.1 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 11,830 (29.9 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 3,000 (7.6 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 25,567
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 81,795
--- Tests completed: 1,339,316
--- Death toll: 3,334
Colorado
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 887 (15.6 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 2,369 (41.6 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 50 (0.9 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 5,446
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 22,202
--- Tests completed: 131,333
--- Death toll: 1,224
Connecticut
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 540 (15.1 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 3,637 (101.8 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 400 (11.2 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 8,273
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 38,430
--- Tests completed: 185,520
--- Death toll: 3,472
Delaware
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 146 (15.1 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 1,101 (113.8 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 100 (10.3 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 2,554
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 8,037
--- Tests completed: 44,132
--- Death toll: 304
Florida
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 3,232 (15.2 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 5,138 (24.1 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 1,000 (4.7 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 9,479
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 46,944
--- Tests completed: 715,855
--- Death toll: 2,129
Georgia
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,657 (15.8 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 2,978 (28.3 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 250 (2.4 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 6,775
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 38,721
--- Tests completed: 378,156
--- Death toll: 1,664
Hawaii
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 217 (15.3 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 217 (15.3 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 44 (3.1 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 17
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 640
--- Tests completed: 45,023
--- Death toll: 17
Idaho
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 286 (16.3 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 359 (20.5 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 23 (1.3 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 347
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 2,455
--- Tests completed: 38,069
--- Death toll: 74
Illinois
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,962 (15.4 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 14,317 (112.4 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 125 (1.0 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 32,761
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 98,030
--- Tests completed: 621,684
--- Death toll: 4,379
Indiana
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,053 (15.7 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 3,404 (50.9 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 93 (1.4 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 7,749
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 28,705
--- Tests completed: 189,330
--- Death toll: 1,824
Iowa
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 523 (16.6 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 2,355 (74.6 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 36 (1.1 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 5,343
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 15,349
--- Tests completed: 107,648
--- Death toll: 372
Kansas
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 492 (16.9 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 1,437 (49.4 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 200 (6.9 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 2,918
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 8,340
--- Tests completed: 66,990
--- Death toll: 173
Kentucky
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 726 (16.2 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 1,388 (31.1 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 50 (1.1 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 2,711
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 8,069
--- Tests completed: 153,986
--- Death toll: 366
Louisiana
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 733 (15.7 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 2,304 (49.4 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 700 (15.1 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 5,077
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 35,038
--- Tests completed: 278,073
--- Death toll: 2,581
Maine
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 209 (15.6 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 315 (23.5 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 50 (3.7 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 511
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 1,741
--- Tests completed: 23,833
--- Death toll: 73
Maryland
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 917 (15.2 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 5,781 (95.7 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 1,000 (14.5 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 13,354
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 41,546
--- Tests completed: 208,658
--- Death toll: 2,081
Massachusetts
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,042 (15.1 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 7,715 (111.8 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 1,000 (16.5 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 18,309
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 87,925
--- Tests completed: 476,940
--- Death toll: 5,938
Michigan
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,539 (15.4 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 3,091 (30.9 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 3,500 (35.0 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 6,620
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 52,350
--- Tests completed: 422,904
--- Death toll: 5,017
Minnesota
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 882 (15.7 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 4,081 (72.7 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 130 (2.3 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 9,132
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 17,029
--- Tests completed: 161,835
--- Death toll: 757
Mississippi
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 492 (16.5 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 1,611 (53.9 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 200 (6.7 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 3,575
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 11,704
--- Tests completed: 117,760
--- Death toll: 554
Missouri
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 975 (15.9 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 1,402 (22.9 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 69 (1.1 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 2,055
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 11,080
--- Tests completed: 154,110
--- Death toll: 616
Montana
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 191 (18.0 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 191 (18.0 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 130 (12.2 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 14
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 471
--- Tests completed: 28,950
--- Death toll: 16
Nebraska
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 344 (17.8 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 1,954 (101.3 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 325 (16.8 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 4,451
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 10,625
--- Tests completed: 69,984
--- Death toll: 125
Nevada
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 462 (15.2 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 688 (22.7 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 100 (3.2 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 1,431
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 7,046
--- Tests completed: 87,555
--- Death toll: 365
New Hampshire
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 209 (15.4 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 480 (35.4 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 70 (5.1 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 1,047
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 3,652
--- Tests completed: 49,474
--- Death toll: 172
New Jersey
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,346 (15.1 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 8,484 (95.2 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 300 (3.4 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 20,618
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 149,013
--- Tests completed: 520,182
--- Death toll: 10,586
New Mexico
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 329 (15.7 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 939 (44.8 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 80 (3.8 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 1,967
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 6,096
--- Tests completed: 137,620
--- Death toll: 270
New York
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 2,963 (15.2 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 15,576 (79.7 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 575 (3.0 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 36,388
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 352,845
--- Tests completed: 1,467,739
--- Death toll: 22,843
North Carolina
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,606 (15.5 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 3,401 (32.8 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 250 (2.4 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 7,177
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 19,700
--- Tests completed: 265,008
--- Death toll: 691
North Dakota
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 145 (19.1 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 381 (50.1 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 250 (32.8 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 706
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 1,994
--- Tests completed: 57,731
--- Death toll: 45
Ohio
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,799 (15.4 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 3,668 (31.4 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 385 (3.3 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 7,981
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 28,952
--- Tests completed: 277,602
--- Death toll: 1,720
Oklahoma
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 632 (16.0 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 938 (23.8 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 500 (12.6 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 1,357
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 5,489
--- Tests completed: 139,147
--- Death toll: 294
Oregon
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 647 (15.4 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 724 (17.3 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 332 (7.9 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 932
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 3,726
--- Tests completed: 99,720
--- Death toll: 140
Pennsylvania
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,954 (15.3 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 6,231 (48.7 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 160 (1.2 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 13,863
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 63,666
--- Tests completed: 349,700
--- Death toll: 4,624
Rhode Island
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 161 (15.2 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 979 (92.6 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 100 (9.4 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 2,270
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 12,951
--- Tests completed: 117,246
--- Death toll: 532
South Carolina
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 789 (15.5 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 1,213 (23.9 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 400 (7.8 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 2,187
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 9,056
--- Tests completed: 135,063
--- Death toll: 399
South Dakota
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 165 (18.7 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 615 (69.7 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 350 (39.6 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 1,360
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 4,085
--- Tests completed: 29,709
--- Death toll: 46
Tennessee
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,062 (15.7 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 2,367 (35.0 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 500 (7.3 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 4,457
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 18,378
--- Tests completed: 346,123
--- Death toll: 305
Texas
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 4,441 (15.5 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 8,203 (28.6 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 2,000 (6.9 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 16,544
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 49,912
--- Tests completed: 744,937
--- Death toll: 1,369
Utah
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 488 (15.4 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 965 (30.5 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 1,200 (37.4 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 1,837
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 7,384
--- Tests completed: 174,022
--- Death toll: 80
Vermont
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 101 (16.1 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 101 (16.1 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 48 (7.7 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 39
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 944
--- Tests completed: 24,591
--- Death toll: 54
Virginia
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,347 (15.8 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 5,377 (63.1 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 300 (3.5 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 11,652
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 32,145
--- Tests completed: 202,789
--- Death toll: 1,041
Washington
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 1,150 (15.3 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 1,722 (22.9 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 1,371 (18.0 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 3,143
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 18,611
--- Tests completed: 289,135
--- Death toll: 1,002
Washington D.C.
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 106 (15.1 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 879 (125.1 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 65 (9.2 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 2,100
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 7,434
--- Tests completed: 39,374
--- Death toll: 400
West Virginia
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 303 (16.8 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 319 (17.7 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: null (0.0 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 287
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 1,509
--- Tests completed: 78,301
--- Death toll: 68
Wisconsin
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 910 (15.7 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 2,188 (37.6 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 401 (6.9 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 4,453
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 12,885
--- Tests completed: 161,122
--- Death toll: 467
Wyoming
- Baseline contract tracers needed: 99 (17.1 per 100,000 people)
- Contract tracers needed to address all new COVID-19 cases from May 4 to May 18: 135 (23.4 per 100,000 people)
- Actual number of contract tracers employed: 50 (8.6 per 100,000 people)
- New COVID-19 cases, May 4 to May 18: 169
- Cumulative state COVID-19 statistics as of May 19:
--- Positive cases: 766
--- Tests completed: 17,850
--- Death toll: 10
