Humboldt County Joint Information Center press release:
Public Health is changing the contact investigation process and asking for community help to better respond to an unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 cases.
Contact tracers will continue to contact every resident in the county who tests positive and conduct an initial interview. The investigator will assign the case to either “priority” or “low risk”. Some examples of priority cases include health workers in hospitals or clinical settings, staff in schools or day care centers, and those residing or working in collective living centers, but priority will be assigned on a case-by-case basis.
Dr Teresa Frankovich, Humboldt County Health Officer, said: “We are at a point where we need the community to help us quickly reach their close contacts to help contain the spread of the virus. ”
If a case is designated as a priority, investigators will be assigned to follow-up directly with their close contacts. If a case is designated low risk, the Contact Investigation Team will ask that person to immediately contact their own close contacts to notify them of the exposure and provide them with quarantine information.
A close contact is defined as:
Anyone who has been within six feet of a COVID-positive person for 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period during the infectious period.
Of somebody infectious period is:
Two days before the onset of symptoms until there are at least 10 days from the onset of symptoms; AND
No fever for at least 24 hours; AND
The symptoms improved.
For positive people who do not have symptoms, the infectious period begins two days before the test and continues for 10 days. Dr Frankovich said it was no longer practical for case investigators to contact all contacts with a known positive. “We have reported 56 new cases since Friday alone, and last week the county saw its biggest weekly increase in cases since the start of the pandemic,” she said. “It is clear that it is time to adjust our strategy as much of the state has already had to.”
Learn more about what to do while you wait for your test results, and access isolation and quarantine information at humboldtgov.org/blanketorders.
For the most recent information on COVID-19, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or during business hours by contacting [email protected] or calling 707-441-5000.
