Georgia to start Contact Tracing

To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has started contact tracing of the respiratory virus.  Governor Brian Kemp says this is a plan to identify how COVID-19 is being transmitted in the state.  “A key part of our plan to ensure a healthy and prosperous future for our state is contact tracing. With nearly 250 staff in the field today, the Department of Public Health is making progress. Under the leadership of Dr. Toomey, DPH plans to have 1,000 staff deployed in the coming weeks. To streamline contact tracing across the state, we are rolling out a new online monitoring tool, the Healthy Georgia Collaborative, which allows Georgians to identify contacts and monitor symptoms. Health data remains completely confidential. This monitoring tool does not collect any data other than what is entered by the contact.”  Gov. Kemp explains how the process works.  “Residents who test positive for COVID-19 will be contacted by trained public health staff, who will work with that individual to recall anyone that they might’ve had close contact with while infectious. Those contacts will then be interviewed by DPH to help us map and isolate the spread of COVID-19 in communities across the state. If you are contacted by DPH staff, we strongly encourage you to participate in the contact tracing program. We need your help to defeat this virus. Together, we can continue to take measured steps forward.”  All Georgians are encouraged to heed the advice of public health officials, wear face masks, continue social distancing, and avoid large gatherings to help slow the spread of COVID-19.