State creates team of retired nurses to help schools with contact tracing

AUGUSTA, Maine (WMTW) - The Maine Department of Education has created a new team to help schools with contact tracing of COVID-19 cases.

The team includes 21 retired nurses who have been trained to contact trace by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It will support the work of school nurses and other school staff as they communicate with and monitor close contacts of positive cases. The overarching goal is to support our schools and keep our children actively engaged in learning while mitigating the spread and effects of this pandemic,” Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin said.

Makin said the new team will compliment work being done by the Maine CDC’s contact tracing team of approximately 150 staff and volunteers.

She said last week, roughly half of the close contacts identified as connected with new cases of COVID-19 in Maine were associated with schools.

Makin said the Maine CDC will continue to investigate confirmed cases and outbreaks associated with schools.