Wanted: COVID-19 Contact Tracers

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published May 14, 2020 at 8:28 AM EDT

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan is asking residents to enlist in helping government better manage the pandemic.

During a virtual Town Hall Thursday night, Sheehan encouraged residents to seek out information about how to become a coronavirus contact tracer.

"There is information about how people can access the applications and learn about the opportunities to become contact tracers, and that's gonna be really important moving forward."

Sheehan says the city has posted a wide variety of COVID-19 material including testing information, numbers people can call for help, as well as services for seniors and those with mental health issues.

Experts believe at least 60% of a population would have to opt in for contact-tracing apps to work well.

Tags

Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

See stories by Dave Lucas