New Jersey is partnering with New York and Connecticut to launch a tri-state tracing program, with the goal being simple: find people who are infected and get them into isolation.

 

The three states will work together to build an army of people, known as tracers. New York currently has around 500.

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But New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the program needs thousands of tracers to actually be affective.

 

“This entire operation has never been done before, so it's intimidating,” says Gov. Cuomo. “You’ve never heard contact tracing isolate before, no one has. We've just never done this. But I say, so what? Who cares that you've never done it? It's irrelevant. It's what we have to do now."

Gov. Phil Murphy did not get into detail concerning the tracing program in his daily update Wednesday, but did tweet, “We’re continuing our tri-state partnership with @NYGovCuomo and @GovNedLamont. Our three states are working on a contact tracing program. This discussion is in its very early stages, but we all recognize that robust contact tracing is vital to any serious reopening efforts.”

The program will be spearheaded and partially funded by former New York City mayor and presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, who has pledged $10 million toward the project.