How to get a job as a contact tracer in Florida

In this file photo, Maria Fernanda works on contact tracing at the Florida Dept. of Health in Doral. These workers do the detective work of running down the contacts of coronavirus patients. (Lynne Sladky, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

MIAMI – It’s become a common question from viewers: How do I get a job as a contact tracer?

Infectious disease experts have continually said that contact tracing is key to battling the coronavirus pandemic. Tracers are responsible for speaking with people who have become infected with COVID-19, finding out who they have been in close contact with and notifying those people so they can be checked.

Recommended Videos



According to the Florida Department of Health, if you’re interested in the job, you can visit Jobs.MyFlorida.com, Maximus.com or FavoriteStaffing.com for available employment opportunities.

Some colleges have offered free online classes to learn how to do contact tracing.

According to the health department, Miami-Dade has approximately 300 contact tracers. Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week that 250 additional contact tracers will be added in the county. A spokesman for the health department said new contact tracers “are being onboarded now and will be in position in the coming days.”

Experts have said that the state needs over 3,200 contact tracers to properly handle the pandemic.


About the Author

Christina returned to Local 10 in 2019 as a reporter after covering Hurricane Dorian for the station. She is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and previously earned an Emmy Award while at WPLG for her investigative consumer protection segment "Call Christina."

Recommended Videos