Dec. 8, 2020

Kitsap Public Health temporarily adjusts contact tracing strategies as COVID-19 cases surge

Don't wait for a call from public health to begin isolation or quarantine if you test positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to a COVID-19 case. 

Kitsap Public Health District's case investigation and contact tracing team has worked seven days a week since March to fight the spread of COVID-19 in our county. 

Over that time, the Health District's team has provided guidance and resources to more than 2,500 community members who tested positive for COVID-19 and notified more than 5,200 close contacts who were potentially exposed to the virus. 

"Our case and contact tracing team has performed heroically throughout this pandemic and I could not be prouder of their work," Kitsap Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Gib Morrow said. "We will never know how many illnesses and deaths our team has prevented, but we do know COVID-19 would have inflicted more suffering on our community without their dedicated service. Beyond disease prevention, our contact tracers serve as a source of support and comfort to thousands of Kitsap households affected by this dangerous virus."

Wave of COVID-19 activity straining contact tracing efforts

Kitsap Public Health entered the pandemic with a small core team of communicable disease investigators. To meet the unprecedented demands in numbers and time of tracking COVID-19 cases, the district has since utilized more than 45 Kitsap Public Health employees, in addition to volunteers, for COVID-19 response.

However, as with many public health agencies, the wave of COVID-19 cases reported this fall is exceeding the Health District's contact tracing capacity at this time. The rate of new cases reported in Kitsap has quadrupled since mid-October, with dozens of new cases reported daily. 

To address this surging case load, Kitsap Public Health has focused on reaching as many positive cases as quickly as possible in our county, while pausing daily monitoring of cases and contacts, and relying on cases to notify their close contacts. 

"With COVID-19 activity soaring in our region, it's imperative that Kitsap residents don't wait for a call from public health to take action," Dr. Morrow said. "Stay home if you feel sick or if you've been exposed to a COVID-19 case. Get tested as soon as you can. Follow the public health guidance available from the CDC and our state Department of Health. Reach out if you need help."

"We believe contact tracing is an important tool for controlling the spread of COVID-19, and we plan to resume contact notifications as soon as possible," Dr. Morrow added. "However, we all need to take responsibility for protecting our health and slowing the spread of the virus. This is a community-wide crisis, and it will take a community response to overcome."

Temporary changes to contact tracing strategies

Kitsap Public Health has temporarily reprioritized contact tracing strategies in response to the spike in COVID-19 activity:

• Kitsap Public Health has paused daily monitoring calls, meaning Health District staff are no longer making daily calls to positive COVID-19 cases during their isolation period or to close contacts during their quarantine period.
  
  
• Kitsap Public Health is asking positive COVID-19 cases to notify their close contacts of potential exposure. Cases are provided with guidance to give to contacts. The Health District will resume direct close contact notifications as soon as possible.
  
  
• Kitsap Public Health strives to reach every positive COVID-19 case reported in our county as quickly as possible. Due to the overwhelming case load, delays in testing, and challenges obtaining contact information, the Health District may not be able to reach every positive case reported.

Guidance for community members

• If you test positive for COVID-19: do not wait for a call from public health to begin isolation (staying at home and avoiding contact with others). Following CDC guidance for isolation will help you avoid getting people around you sick. 
  
  
• If you have been exposed to a COVID-19 case: Follow CDC guidance for quarantine (staying home and away from others) and testing. Quarantining will help prevent you from getting other people sick if you are infected.
  
  
• Reach out if you need help. Resources are available in our county to help cases and contacts safely isolate or quarantine. If you need assistance, call Kitsap Public Health District at 360-728-2235 and ask to speak with someone about COVID case management.

New CDC guidance for COVID-19 quarantine

People who have been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case are advised to stay home, avoid contact with others, and monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days after their last contact with the case. They should also get tested for COVID-19 between 5-8 days after their last contact. This remains the safest option for your family and our community.

To reduce hardship on people identified as close contacts, the CDC recently released options for ending quarantine early under certain circumstances:

Options for ending quarantine early:

• A close contact can end quarantine after 10 days if they do not have symptoms. 
• A close contact can end quarantine after 7 days if they do not have symptoms and they test negative for COVID-19. 

After stopping quarantine, people must:

• Watch for symptoms until 14 days after exposure.
• If they have symptoms, immediately self-isolate and contact their local public health authority or healthcare provider.
• Wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet from others, wash their hands, avoid crowds, and take other steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Learn more on the CDC's website.

CONTACT: pio@kitsappublichealth.org