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Public health officials urge Portland area residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 to contact everyone with whom they have been in close contact “immediately”, including employers, and encourage them to take action to quarantine or isolate them, asking Oregonians to conduct their own contact tracing program.
Senior metropolitan health officials launched the plea on Tuesday, saying contact tracing staff in the region were unable to complete these duties in a timely manner as coronavirus cases continue to rise in a torrid rhythm.
Multnomah County contact tracers are reaching “about half” of the confirmed cases reported in the county currently, said Dr Jennifer Vines, health manager for the tri-county region.
This suggests that more than 1,120 people living in Oregon’s most populous county have not been interviewed about their close contacts over the past week, and in all likelihood, those close contacts have not learned. County officials that they were exposed and instructed to stay home to avoid spreading the virus to others.
“This is new,” Vines said of the urgent message asking COVID-positive Oregonians to inform their close contacts themselves, calling it “the right thing to do.” to help slow down transmission.
Earlier this month, health workers admitted they were struggling to keep up with the record rise in COVID-19 infections in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties, with cases over the past week now averaging above 600 per day, more than double three. weeks ago. The state is nearly a week in a partial shutdown ordered by Governor Kate Brown in an effort to curb the spread of the virus and prevent hospitals, which are seeing record numbers of COVID-19 patients, from being overwhelmed .
But until now, health officials had not been so explicit about their inability to conduct contact tracing, and the message still remains a bit murky. Across the border from Washington, in Clark County, health officials were much more direct on Monday, saying not all those infected will be interviewed for contact tracing.
“Cases that are not reached within two days of a positive test result,” Clark County officials said in a press release, “are unlikely to receive a public health appeal.
In Oregon, Christina Baumann, chief public health officer for Washington County, said the rapid increase in the number of cases is already forcing departments to prioritize who to contact. People most vulnerable to the virus are high on the list of contact tracers, such as those living in assisted care facilities, as well as communities of color.
Health workers said it would be “much more expedient” for people diagnosed with COVID-19 to contact their own close contacts than public health departments.
“We know it’s a lot to take,” Baumann said in a telephone interview Tuesday with reporters.
Health services have set up a website that includes a 20-page file describing when people should self-isolate, when they should be quarantined, and what steps they should take to reach people who may have been exposed. .
This document includes a suggested script to help people with COVID-positive share the news with their friends or contacts.
“Even if your test is negative, you should stay home and away from others for the full 14 days,” part of the script reads. “If you need help with rent, food delivery, and other resources so you can stay home during the quarantine, call 2-1-1.”
“I know it can be hard to hear, so if you want to talk, give me a call,” the suggested script says in conclusion.
The state introduced guidelines in May stating that counties should have at least 15 contact tracers per 100,000 residents.
Multnomah County’s target was 122 full-time equivalent employees, and the agency currently has 94 plus 77 investigators, although it is not immediately clear whether those employees are full-time.
It is also unclear whether the county plans to hire more contact tracing staff, or when that will happen. A county spokesperson did not immediately respond to these questions.
– Andrew Theen; [email protected]; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen
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