Alex Cummings, an ICU nurse at St. Louis University Hospital, who stands in the middle of the street Thursday, blocking cars protesting the stay-at-home orders in Clayton. [Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP]

ST. LOUIS — At a time when businesses are shut down and jobs have become scarce as officials work to stifle the spread of COVID-19, the St. Louis County Public Health Department is hiring.

The department is looking to hire more full-time contact tracers to track down people who may have been exposed to the virus, St. Louis television station KMOV reported. St. Charles County officials say they also are hiring those "disease detectives."

"We will definitely need more help," said Dr. Nhial Tutlam with the St. Louis County Public Health Department.

St. Louis, with 877 confirmed coronavirus infections according to a state report issued Tuesday, has the second-highest infection rate in the state. There were 18 new cases reported Tuesday.

The goal is to reach out to anyone who's been in contact with a COVID-19 patient and then monitor them daily, Tutlam said. The tracers hunt down people — including family members, coworkers and others — who may have come into contact with an infected person within 48 hours of that person showing symptoms.

Health department staff in the St. Louis area — along with 83 volunteers — are currently in contact with and monitoring thousands of people in St. Louis County.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending local governments establish large groups of contact tracers.

The Tribune’s coronavirus coverage is being provided free to our readers. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Tribune at columbiatribune.com/subscribenow and help keep local businesses afloat at supportlocal.usatoday.com.

nav-oc Naviga Writer 2020-04-22T16:31:32Z false yes NEWS By Associated Press