By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A rise in the number of coronavirus cases has prompted the St. Joseph Health Department to change its COVID-19 contact tracing protocol.
Stephanie Malita with the department says health officials have been trying to talk with anyone who had come into close contact with those testing positive for COVID-19.
“We asked them to review who they had been around for 15 minutes or longer and within six feet or less whether they were wearing a mask or not,” Malita tells St. Joseph Post.
That contact tracing has become more and more of a burden with the recent rise in coronavirus numbers. The 14-day average in Buchanan County has nearly doubled in the past month, from 45 to 82.
Malita says the St. Joseph Health Department has used up to eight staff members to reach out to those who have been in close contact with anyone testing positive for COVID-19. They can no longer keep up with the demands of contact tracing with the increase in daily numbers rising so dramatically. The highest number of positive tests reported in the last two weeks was 121 on the 24th of November just before Thanksgiving with the lowest being the 38 cases reported on Monday. The department reported Buchanan County had 107 new cases on Wednesday.
Now, the department is asking those infected to contact those with whom they came into close contact.
“If somebody’s home and isolating like they should be, we’re hopeful that they’ll be able to take the time to make those calls,” Malita says.
If a person tests positive for COVID-19 they are asked to quarantine for at least 10 days.
Malita says the change in contact tracing protocol is in line with changes suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and the Missouri Department of Health.