Gov. Kathy Hochul has nixed contract tracing in New York state, saying that it is now optional for counties to call residents who become infected.

The governor said the rate of increase has made it “impossible” and that she would rather redirect the resources it takes to trace cases.

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NYC Test and Trace Corps says it will not stop its contact tracing efforts, with its executive director saying in statement, “New York City operates the largest municipal contact tracing program in the country and will proudly continue to do so. Our mission ends when the pandemic does.”

NYC Test and Trace says its work breaks the chain of transmission. To deal with the massive surge in positive cases, it has have made changes by shifting to a text-based system to connect people to resources if they’ve been exposed.

The plan statewide is to allow each county to decide whether they will continue to do contact tracing.

Meanwhile, Gov. Hochul says her big priority now is launching a new Vax for Kids campaign to help encourage children who can get the shot to get one. She is also pushing to get more tests to school systems.

“In September, we made it really made a push, and now 77% have had their first dose,” she says. “Moms and dads, make sure they get that second dose. And we have 67% already completed, so that those numbers should continue to improve as well."

The campaign will include TV and digital campaigns to reach parents and pediatricians.

MORE: Where can I get the COVID-19 vaccine? | New York COVID-19 Blog