Contact tracing means calling people who may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 to provide guidance and support. As part of reopening guidelines, a county must have a robust contact tracing system that includes 15 full time contact tracers per 100,000 people and demonstrate the ability to follow on 95% of ne cases within 24 hours. It’s a key tool for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In Oregon, local public health authorities use contact tracing to prevent the spread of many types of diseases, like measles.
Contact tracers help you stay healthy and slow the spread of COVID-19 by:
- Talking with you about how to prevent the spread of the virus, including staying home or at a location provided by public health until the danger has passed. This is known as “quarantining.”
- Providing health information on how to care for yourself and others if you start having symptoms.
- Sharing resources available in your community that can support you while you quarantine.
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