The City of Madison and Dane County are putting forth budget amendments of nearly $700,000 for Public Health Madison & Dane County to support COVID-19 response efforts.
“Providing isolation support and contact tracers bolsters our ability to contain illness and is instrumental to getting Dane County on a path to recovery,” said County Executive Parisi in a statement. “Our public health department has done a phenomenal job responding to this pandemic, but we have a long way to go. This funding gives them some much-needed resources and tools to continue to respond to, and contain, COVID-19.”
Utilizing federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, the additional $694,068 in funding will include $250,000 to support people who are in isolation to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to a press release. The funding will create eight staff positions; two Public Health Nurse positions with an emphasis on infection control, four Disease Intervention Specialist positions to do contact tracing, and two communications positions to support tailored messaging and outreach.
“This is a necessary investment for the health and safety of our community. Now more than ever nuanced, timely, and culturally relevant outreach is critical to our success in keeping people safe and healthy,” said Madison Mayor Rhodes-Conway.
In addition to building internal infrastructure within Public Health, the funding will also build community resilience, officials say, through the creation of two infection control practitioner positions and will provide in-person expertise for infection control and mitigation within facilities serving some of our most vulnerable populations, like long-term care facilities and shelters. The funding amendments must be approved by both the City of Madison and Dane County and are anticipated to be effective June 1, pending approval.
