NewsCoronavirus

Actions

Proposal would have Lewis & Clark Public Health perform contact tracing for Legislature

Posted at 2:40 PM, Jan 09, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-09 16:40:44-05

HELENA — County leaders will consider a contract next week for Lewis and Clark Public Health to provide COVID-19 contact tracing for the state legislative session.

The Lewis and Clark County Commission will discuss the proposed agreement with the Montana Legislative Services Division at their meeting Tuesday morning.

Under the contract, Legislative Services would pay LCPH $19.98 per hour for its employees to do contact tracing for state lawmakers and staff, as needed. The state would also provide staff to coordinate with them, including helping them determine who a person’s close contacts at the State Capitol may have been.

The contract would be for up to $7,000 and run through the end of April, when the session is expected to end.

The county’s discussion comes as the Legislature reports its first positive COVID-19 test of the session. Leaders announced Thursday evening that Rep. David Bedey, a Republican from Hamilton, would be quarantining away from the Capitol.