By 1812Blockhouse
With the ever-increasing number of COVID-19 cases, and the corresponding workload that those cases are providing not only for health care workers but for the public health community, many local health departments are trying to do even more with a finite amount of human and monetary resources.
In this light, many are changing procedures to maintain optimal effectiveness.
Case in point — on Monday, Richland Public Health shared an update on Quarantine and Contact Tracing on its website that makes some important changes. That update addresses those individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 between November 19 and November 24, as well as those who tested or will test positive beginning on November 25.
It reads:
“If you tested positive between November 19 and November 24, you will receive a letter from Richland Public Health confirming your positive results. You may need this letter for your school or place of employment. Please follow all the information in the letter. There is no need to call the Health Department.
Richland Public Health is concentrating on calling individuals who tested positive for cases reported to us starting November 25. Richland Public Health is following the updated quarantine guidance from the Ohio Department of Health and the CDC. That information can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html
Richland Public Health is joining most local health departments in the United State and doing contact tracing by proxy. If you have tested positive, you are being asked to call your own list of close contacts. Those testing positive starting November 25 will be informed on the phone and will be asked to their own contact tracing.
Please make sure that your phone can receive voicemail if you do not pick up our call. For those who tested positive between Nov. 19-24, please see the letter for information on calling your own close contacts.
For updated Contact Tracing information see this link:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/prioritization.html”
Source: Richland Public Health; Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
