Ragtag Virus-Tracing Army Shapes Up With States Hiring Fast (1)

U.S. health experts say a force of as many as 300,000 contact tracers is crucial for coast-to-coast reopening in the wake of the new coronavirus. So far, though, the country has a far smaller ragtag army that’s many weeks, if not months, from full deployment.

West Virginia wants tracers to go unpaid. Texas, advertising jobs at $17 to $22 an hour, calls the gig a “simple” matter of telling people to stay home. New York City is seeking 1,000 hires with public-health backgrounds.

North Carolina, which is targeting unemployed people with high-school educations, received about 1,500 applications for 250 positions ...