test, trace and isolate

People leave a train at the central station in Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday.

How Germany Staffed Up Contact Tracing Teams To Contain Its Coronavirus Outbreak

1:44pm June 22, 2020

by Rob Schmitz

Staff in over 400 call centers in Germany work around the clock to notify people if they've been exposed to a positive coronavirus case. The country aims to have one contact tracer per 4,000 people.

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Map of U.S. state contact tracing capacity

Health & Safety

As States Reopen, Do They Have The Workforce They Need To Stop Coronavirus Outbreaks?

10:52am June 18, 2020

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

NPR surveyed all 50 states to find out how many people they have doing contact tracing — one of the essential tools for keeping outbreaks from flaring up. Look up your state to see how it's doing.

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San Francisco librarian Lisa Fagundes was redeployed during the pandemic to work as a contact tracer.

Health & Safety

As California Trains 20,000 Contact Tracers, Librarians and Tax Assessors Step Up

7:00am June 14, 2020

by April Dembosky

California is paying to train a huge contingent of contact tracers by July. Many of the new recruits are librarians: they're curious, tech savvy, and great at talking to strangers.

States Nearly Doubled Plans For Contact Tracers Since NPR Surveyed Them 10 Days Ago

8:51pm May 07, 2020

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

To safely reopen without risking new COVID-19 outbreaks, states need staff to do the crucial work of contact tracing. Public health agencies report they have aggressive plans to grow their workforce.

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Chart showing the daily trend of coronavirus testing in the U.S., compared to a new estimate of needed testing

Health & Safety

U.S. Coronavirus Testing Still Falls Short. How's Your State Doing?

10:57am May 07, 2020

New estimates say the U.S. needs to triple its testing. But how much testing does each state need? Here's how states compare to each other, and to targets experts say they should hit.

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South Carolina has permitted retail stores to reopen to customers. It's one of a handful of states easing up on some social distancing restrictions.

Health & Safety

When Is It Safe To Ease Social Distancing? Here's What One Model Says For Each State

11:41am April 25, 2020

by Nurith Aizenman

Some states are moving forward, but many would be wise to wait, according to experts at the University of Washington. Here's their estimate for each state's safe date to reopen.