The BC Government will hire as many as 500 new contact tracers to help deal with a potential surge in COVID-19 cases later this year.

These new contact tracers are expected to be new graduates or retired health professionals, with the positions to start in September and last until the end of March 2021, though it could be extended, if needed.

“We want to make sure people are kept safe in any COVID-19 outbreak, and one of the ways to do that is through strong contact tracing,” said Premier John Horgan. “These new contact tracers will provide an extra layer of protection by jumping into action as soon as there is an outbreak, and will start their detective-style work to find out who may be infected in order to protect all British Columbians.”

Horgan says some of the new, temporary positions will also help with the flu immunization plan in the fall, with further details on that to be announced in the near future.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says contact tracing is ‘bread and butter work’ for health officials, noting it will be something that B.C. needs to focus on until there is an effective vaccine.

“When there is a community outbreak, time is of the essence,” she added. “These new contact tracers will work with existing public health teams to help track down all those who may have been exposed and support people to self-isolate when necessary. This role becomes even more crucial to contain the spread as we continue to open up our schools, economy and social activities, and as we prepare for the upcoming cold and flu season this fall.”

The Ministry of Health is working with Health Match BC and the health authorities to manage the recruitment process.