HARRISBURG (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) – Governor Wolf announced the creation of the Commonwealth Civilian Coronavirus Corps which is a public service initiative that will support efforts this fall to increase testing and contact tracing and provide new job opportunities in the public health sector.
“Our highest priority remains protecting public health and safety, but we must also look ahead to see how we can address future needs. To reopen our economy to its maximum potential, we will need to boost our ability to contain this highly transmissible virus,” Governor Wolf said in a statement. “The Commonwealth Civilian Coronavirus Corps will serve as a public service program that will expand our ability to conduct contact tracing and testing and mobilize Pennsylvanians to contain COVID-19.”
The Commonwealth Civilian Coronavirus Corps will bring the following efforts to fruition as the state ramps up efforts in the upcoming months:
- Partnering with local public health agencies, community organizations, and the nonprofit community to expand Pennsylvania’s existing testing and contract tracing initiatives;
- Leveraging additional resources to fund testing and contact tracing initiatives;
- Exploring creative ways to recruit experienced Pennsylvanians with health care and public health experience to support this initiative; and
- Coordinating existing resources deployed by the commonwealth, including community health nurses and county health departments who are currently conducting testing and contact tracing throughout the state.
It will also provide Pennsylvania the opportunity to recruit and train COVID-19-impacted dislocated and unemployed workers into the public services jobs, helping to address the state’s health and economic needs:
- Engage partners in the workforce development system, existing allied health training programs, and AmeriCorps programs to build and strengthen a public health workforce across the commonwealth;
- Leverage existing workforce development resources to recruit, train, and connect the public health workforce with employment opportunities; and
- Engage public health and health care employers to connect trained workers with long-term career opportunities.
“We have all made many sacrifices throughout this crisis and all we share a desire to move forward toward a healthier, safer and more prosperous future,” Governor Wolf said. “Through this public service initiative, Pennsylvanians will have opportunities in the months ahead to join a collective effort to ensure that we emerge from this pandemic a stronger commonwealth.”
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