DHEC identifies more than 1,800 contract tracers.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control has identified more than 1,800 contract tracers to support the state's efforts to respond to COVID-19.

Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist, said DHEC set a goal with partners at accelerateSC, a task force made up of health care, education, business, and government officials created to develop a coordinated economic revitalization plan for the state, to identify 1,000 contract tracers by May 31.

As of Monday, DHEC said it had increased its contract tracer staff members from 20 to 400 and retained another 1,400 through contracts with private staffing companies Apple One and C-Trace. The agency said 667 members of the public have also expressed interest in becoming a contract tracer through DHEC's contract tracing webpage.

Contract tracers identify individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus based on test results obtained by health agencies, then contact those individuals to obtain information about people with whom they've recently had contact and provide them with access to resources to follow health protocols.

DHEC commonly uses contract tracers to track and help limit the spread of diseases such as tuberculosis and...