Federal Funding For State And Local Contact Tracing Efforts Is An Urgent Priority, And A Bargain

Rallying cries around COVID-19 have shifted from “flatten the curve” to “reopen America.” After weeks of restrictions on movement, commerce, and social connections across most areas of the country, the tantalizing possibility of relaxing current measures in time for summer baseball and beach parties eroded the resolve of many communities in lockdown. At least 30 states have already moved to reopen some businesses or loosen stay-at-home orders against the warnings of health experts. In the context of a growing array of roadmaps intended to guide policy makers toward the next phase of the response, there is another rallying cry that needs to be heard most loudly right now: “Fund public health.”