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Everyone has their own priorities (even good priorities)

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot should not hire an outside agency to oversee contract tracing for COVID-19 cases and instead use the money earmarked for that effort to beef up a diminished Chicago Department of Public Health, progressive activists said Tuesday.

They were reacting to Lightfoot’s announcement last week that the city would use $56 million in state and federal coronavirus relief funds to dramatically expand contact tracing, which public health researchers say is key to preventing new case surges. Of that $56 million, $11 million would go to an outside agency that would oversee the massive effort.

Rose Joshua, president of NAACP Southside, called on the mayor “to immediately stop all contracting out of contact tracing, testing and all public health services and instead use federal, state and local funds to rebuild the Chicago Department of Public Health.”

The department pointed out in a response that the agency that will be chosen to head up the work must distribute 85% of the overall funding to at least 30 neighborhood organizations. Those agencies will be “primarily serving residents of communities of high economic hardship.” […]

Also joining the group were current and former union officials who have an interest in seeing the ranks of public workers expand. They included Tony Johnston, president of the Cook County College Teachers Union, who said city community colleges should be training new contact tracers, and Matt Brandon, former secretary-treasurer of International Service Employees Union Local 73 and current president of Communities Organized to Win.

There is no doubt that the city’s public health system has been horrifically hollowed out over the years. It’s in definite need of a rebuild. But there are legal strings on the disbursements and the city cannot ignore them. Just as importantly, this is a one-time cash disbursement. Even if the city did direct all the money to its public health department (which it cannot do), that money immediately goes away. So, they staff up and then they have to cut them all loose.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 4, 20 @ 11:26 am

Comments

Contract tracing should definitely be contracted out. It is a service that will only be needed for 2-3 years at most. It makes immensely more sense to hire experts who can also work for other cities and states and can increase/decrease their staffing as needed.

Comment by Just Me 2 Thursday, Jun 4, 20 @ 11:33 am
Yeah, keep the Chicago DPH hollow, there will be absolutely nothing for them to do about the city’s health after contact tracing. S for the clueless.

Comment by VerySmallRocks Thursday, Jun 4, 20 @ 11:42 am
@Just Me 2, it seems you do not know much about contact (not “contract”) tracing or the Chicago Department of Public Health. Contact tracing is a not a onetime project or a new undertaking but a key function of the department and its staff not only for viral outbreaks but for foodborne illnesses and sexually transmitted diseases as well. The question is, what is the best way to significantly expand this existing function to combat COVID.

Comment by Reality Check Thursday, Jun 4, 20 @ 11:46 am
“It is a service that will only be needed for 2-3 years at most.”

At most?

I certainly hope so, but I lack your certainty.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Thursday, Jun 4, 20 @ 11:47 am
Contact tracing isn’t just for this disease, it can be used for any disease that spreads between social contacts.

Comment by Cheryl44 Thursday, Jun 4, 20 @ 1:22 pm