The state’s top health official says contact tracing efforts are coming along as Pennsylvania takes targeted mitigation steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Dr. Rachel Levine explains the contact tracing process.
“First, we receive a report of a positive test result in our electronic data surveillance system,” Levine said. “Then, our community health nurses contact the patient and do a full case investigation to discuss their symptoms, collect demographic data, and go over their risk factors.”
“In addition, they determine with whom they might have come into contact while they might have been infectious,” Levine said.
She also said the Department of Health has been able to bring on a number of contact tracers to help with the process.
“We have well over 600 contact tracers now, and we want to have more, but we have met that goal at the end of June and beginning of July to have well over 600,” Levine said.
Levine says contact tracing is plays a major role in the state’s effort to limit the coronavirus.
