Sen. Schatz Urges Ige to Maintain Expanded COVID-19 Contact Tracing Program
The federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has been used to fund the State of Hawaii’s COVID-19 Contact Expanded Tracing Program. Federal funding is set to expire at the end of the year. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) has called on Governor David Ige to maintain the program and to utilize other sources of funding to ensure it remains fully operational.
Contact tracing is an important component of a comprehensive strategy to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
“I am alarmed that there does not seem to be a plan yet for how to fully fund the contact tracing program after December 30. I urge you to maintain the expanded contact tracing programbeyond the end of the year and to utilize all available resources to do so. Now is not the time to let our foot off the pedal—we must do all we can to keep the number of new cases low and protect the health of the residents of Hawaiʻi,” said Sen. Schatz in his letter to the governor.
