Who is responsible

What jurisdiction should own contact tracing?

In many cases, local departments of health will implement contact tracing in partnership with state budget and infrastructure. Especially large or dense urban centers, however, as well as local jurisdictions with unique circumstances, may execute contact tracing independently of--but in communication with--state partners. To remain capable of responding quickly to this crisis, The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) encourages governments to remain flexible regarding how funding and resources are allocated between jurisdictions.

Government partners may want to outline how responsibilities will be distributed, considering, for example, whether workflows like contact tracer staffing or data management should occur at the state or local level. They should also establish whether partners can selectively or entirely “opt-out” of portions of any program while still receiving services and/or funding.

We recommend states charter task forces to review these options before stepping down stay-at-home orders. Key stakeholders to include are local and state public health officials, technology directors, data interoperability managers, and legal officials.

Manual vs. digital