Washington state falling well short of COVID-19 contact tracing goals, data show
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday published new data related to COVID-19 case investigation and contact-tracing efforts in Washington state.
From Aug. 30-Sept. 5, department investigators reached:
49% of cases within one day of receiving a positive COVID-19 test result
70% of a cases’ contacts within two days of receiving a positive COVID-19 test result
The goal is to reach 90 percent of cases within one day and 80 percent of contacts within two days.
DOH has been working with local health jurisdictions to develop a system that consistently collects data from counties to enable reporting of statewide metrics, the department said in a news release.
“While we expect our outcomes to improve over time, this initial data shows we have work to do,” Secretary of Health John Wiesman said in a statement. “I urge all Washingtonians to please answer or call back right away if you are contacted by public health. Your participation can stop the spread of COVID-19 and helps keep your families and communities safe.”
Case investigation and contact tracing have been important in stopping the spread of the coronavirus.
“The most common barriers to reaching cases and contacts quickly include missing phone numbers or other contact information, as well as people who require additional follow-up due to an answered first call,” the department said.
DOH will hold a press briefing on Wednesday at 2 p.m. that can be seen at TVW. For more information, log on to DOH website at https://www.doh.wa.gov/.
This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 12:49 PM.
