| Goods |
Texas health officials have awarded up to $295 million to a private technology company to quickly grow and manage a large fleet of contact tracers as the state braces for up to two years without a coronavirus vaccine.
The 27-month contract, signed late this week with MTX Group, comes as more businesses begin to open and the number of new daily COVID-19 cases in much of Texas continues to grow. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has said new outbreaks may be inevitable as restrictions loosen, and has vowed to bring on at least 4,000 tracers by the end of this month to help contain them.
There were about 2,000 tracers active across the state this week. Tracers track down close contacts of those infected, monitor them for symptoms and provide them with instructions on testing and quarantine or isolation. |
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Bidding documents obtained by Hearst Newspapers say the contractor would oversee and provide support for “a corps of epidemiologists, case investigators, and contact tracers.”
The deal appears to have been put together within just a few days. On Wednesday, MTX hired Austin-based lobbyists Andrea and Dean McWilliams for up to $50,000 each, according to public disclosure documents. Others who submitted bids include contracting giants Accenture and Maximus, representatives of the companies said. |