Contact tracing is one of the most discussed and misunderstood policy issues as we grapple with COVID-19.

In this, our first report, we explain what contact tracing is, its context, share our most up-to-date understanding of the issue, and reveal Canadians’ attitudes towards the use of the technology. We give policy recommendations to help ensure that contact tracing is done responsibly, and in a way that builds public trust.

This report is in dialogue with work by policymakers, technologists, academics and think tanks in Canada and internationally, and we look forward to informing and evolving the work with this community.

Since the release of the Race to Trace in June 2020, a number of developments have emerged in the jurisdictions we evaluated, including Canada. We added an addendum in September 2020 to reflect on these latest national and international changes and by way, provide an update to our initial report.

Authors: Masoodi, M.J., Andrey, S., Bardeesy, K. & Choudhry, Z.  |  2020