The Ontario government is in the process of hiring 500 recruits to provide COVID-19 surge support for contact tracing this fall and winter.

The recruits are expected to be hired by mid-November, according to an October 14 press release from the Ontario government. The province has already 100 new contact tracers, many of whom are starting work now.

The position pays up to $20 an hour, which isn’t bad for working from at home.

“With rising COVID-19 cases and outbreaks, we need more contact tracers to ensure the province is able to identify and isolate new cases to limit and stop the spread of the virus,” said Health Minister Christine Elliott.

A lack of tracers has led to members of the Ontario Public Service volunteering for redeployment to provide surge support for contact tracing this fall and winter. More than 600 Statistics Canada employees have been helping since last July with contact follow-up.

There are currently more than 2,750 case and contact management staff active across all public health units, tracing and managing COVID-19 cases. These 600 new recruits and 600 personnel from Statistics Canada brings the total number of case and contact management staff to nearly 4,000, government officials said.

Recently the province has seen a dramatic rise in the number of people with COVID-19, especially in hotspots like Toronto, Ottawa, and Peel, the release states.

The surge has in Toronto and elsewhere led to the closure of gyms and other businesses and non-dining in restaurants.

“Hiring additional contact tracers and case managers and deploying them across Ontario will significantly boost the province’s response to the surge in cases and keep the most vulnerable safe and schools open,” the release says.

Hiring additional contact tracers and case managers and deploying them across Ontario will significantly boost the province’s response to the surge in cases and keep the most vulnerable safe and schools open.

These new positions are part the province’s fall preparedness plan, Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19, which dedicates $1.376 billion to enhance and expand testing and contact tracing in the province.

For more information visit www.publichealthontario.ca