Massachusetts ending its COVID-19 contact tracing program

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts is ending its program that tracks down people who were in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.

The Boston Globe reports there are no more state-funded workers to help track new infections, so local health departments have been advised by the state to only do contact tracing for COVID-19 cases in group settings where infections are more likely to spread rapidly.

Health officials are shifting resources to testing and vaccination outreach as the number of cases and hospitalizations increase.

Timothy McDonald, Needham’s health director, questioned whether it’s the right time to end most contact tracing since the variant omicron is spreading.