In this white paper, Abt Global addresses the need for contact tracing, particularly in communities of color, the group that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit hardest. Abt recommends comprehensive programs to support state and local health departments responding to the pandemic. Programs should include:

1. Engaging communities of color through programs such as the Ryan White program with established community connections.
2. Recruiting contact tracing staff.
3. Developing training materials.
4. Coordinating agencies and contact tracing teams.
5. Monitoring and evaluation to identify effective tracing and testing tactics and compile lessons learned to improve programs.