What you should know
- New Yorkers contacted by the city’s Testing and Trace Corps (better known as the Test & Trace Corps) to track possible COVID-19 exposure can now verify the authenticity of the contact tracker through a new digital feature, they announced. officials on Friday.
- Anyone called or visited at home by a city tracker can now request a “validation code” intended to confirm the identity of the tracker.
- The new website feature launched by the city now confirms the identity of the tracker simply by entering the code.
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NEW YORK – Contract trackers are trying to reach more people than ever amid the latest surge in cases across the US, including in New York City. But how can you tell if the caller is legitimate? The Big Apple now has an answer to that all-important question.
New Yorkers contacted by the city’s Testing and Trace Corps (better known as the Test & Trace Corps) to track possible COVID-19 exposure can now verify the authenticity of the contact tracker through a new digital feature, they announced. officials on Friday.
Anyone called or visited at home by a city tracker can now request a “validation code” intended to confirm the identity of the tracker. The new website feature launched by the city now confirms the identity of the tracker simply by entering the code.
Once a code has been used, it will no longer be valid, further preventing the possibility of fraud, the program’s leaders said.
“Contact tracing is a tried and true public health measure, and this new technology enhances that practice,” Lisa Hendricks, the body’s chief technology officer, said in a news release Friday. “We are taking all steps to ensure the safety of members of our community.”
Test & Trace Corps phone calls begin with 212-540-XXXX or 212-242-XXX. Program leaders warn New Yorkers not to provide their Social Security number, private financial information, credit card information, or personal technology equipment control as no tracker will request access to this information.
“As more people test positive for COVID-19, our contact trackers reach more New Yorkers than ever,” Dr. Ted Long, executive director of NYC Test & Trace Corps, said in a news release Friday. “Our program has been able to reach 90% of all New Yorkers diagnosed with COVID-19 since the program launched in June, and we are confident that this tool will help us reach more New Yorkers by earning their trust early on.”
This latest city function follows the expansion of home test kits that are provided to New Yorkers potentially exposed to the virus. Anyone who has been notified by contact trackers that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 will receive a free coronavirus home test kit.
Officials also remind New Yorkers that if they need to self-quarantine separately from their family to reduce the spread, the city has a program in which people can self-quarantine at local hotels free of charge.
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