Generally, contact tracing refers to an effort by public health officials to identify individuals with whom a patient who has tested positive for an infectious disease has been in close proximity. Public health officials will inform these individuals that they were exposed to a contagious patient and encourage them to monitor their symptoms and quarantine for a period of time.

In response to COVID-19, governments around the world have explored using digital contact tracing, by which smartphone users download an application (app) to enable public health officials to track infected individuals’ contacts. In addition, private sector companies are exploring how digital technologies can be used for contact tracing on employees as they reenter the workplace.

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