County health department's to hire more contact tracers ahead of schools reopening

Local health depts will lead school contact tracing efforts

FOR MONTHS, CONTACT 5 HASREVEALED THE CHALLENGES ANDSTRUGGLES OF THE STATECONTACT TRACING PROGRAM.

NOWWITH SCHOOLS ABOUT TOREOPEN&AND WORKING TO REBOUNCONTACT 5 INVESTIGATOR KATIELAGRONE IS GETTING ANSWERS ONHOW THE STATE AND SCHOOLDISTRICTS ARE PLANNING TOTRACE CASES ON CAMPUS.CONTACT TRACING& EXPERTS CALLIT CRITICAL TO STOPPING THESPREAD OF COVID-19.

(DR.MANGAT) 5:31- WE'VE GOT TO BEON IT LIKE THIS.

IN FLORIDA,THE PRACTICE OF TRACING THEVIRUS FROM PERSON TO PERSONHAS HAD ITS CHALLENGES&.(PREVIOUS STORY CONTACTTRACING LAG TIMES) I STILLHAVEN'T GOTTEN A PHONE CALL.(SHEVRIN JONES CONTACT TRACINGSTORY) HE YOUNG LADY WHOCALLED- SHE WASN'TKNOWLEDGEABLE AT ALL, BUT WITHTHE REOPENING OF SCHOOLSPROMPTING CONCERNS ABOUT CASESPIKES CONTACT TRACING ONCAMPUS REMAINS A WORK INPROGRESS.

(PINELLAS COUNTYHEALTH DEPT) 7:56- IN TERMS OFCHALLENGES, IT'S JUST ANOTHERPLACE TO GO DO CONTACT TRACINGREALLY PINELLAS COUNTYCURRENTLY HAS 100TRACERS&WHILE ADDITIONAL HIRESMAY BE NECESSARY ONCE SCHOOLSREOPEN&THE PROCESS OF TRACINGSTUDENTS WILL LARGELY BEACCOMPLISHED THROUGH ADULTS,ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT.

(PINELLAS COUNTYHEALTH DEPT) 3:18- WE WOULDTALK TO TEACHERS AND PARENTS,AND RESPONSIBLE ADULTS.

WEWOULDN'T DO CONTACT TRACINGWITH A 6 YEAR OLD.

ACROSS THESTATE, 4400 TRACERS ARE ON THEJOB&WITH SOME COUNTIES RAMPINGUP ROSTERS BEFORE THE SCHOOLBELL RINGS.

LEE COUNTY PLANSTO ADD 78 PEOPLE TO TRACE& ST.LUCIE COUNTY IS IN THE PROCESSOF HIRING ANOTHER 20.

(ST.LUCIE) "3:29- ITS INCOMBINATION OF SCHOOL OPENINGIN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS ANDJUST MANAGING OUR REGULARCASELOAD." HEALTH DEPARTMENTSWILL LEAD TRACING EFFORTS FORSCHOOLS AND WHILE YOUNGERPATIENTS*MA* POSE CHALLENGESON THE Q & A&HEALTH OFFICIALSFEAR THE LACK OF RAPID RESULTSWILL POSE THE BIGGESTCHALLENGE FOR TRACERS TRYINGTO CONTAIN AN OUTBREAK ONCAMPUS.

(ST.

LUCIE) 6:08- THESOONER WE ARE AWARE OF APOSITIVE CASE, THE QUICKER WECAN REACH OUT.

BUT DOCTORSCRITICAL OF THE STATE'S PLANTO REOPEN SCHOOLS REMAINCONCERNED.

(DR. MANGAT) 10:54-THE STATE ALREADY DOESN'T HAVEENOUGH CONTACT TRACERS INGENERAL WITHOUT A SCHOOLREOPENING.

TAG COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENTS ARE USING CARESACT FUNDING FOR NEW HIRES ANDHAVE THROUGH THE END OF THEYEAR TO USE IT.

K LAGRONE TAGOUT