Florida county health departments to hire more contact tracers ahead of schools reopening

4 IN YOUR CORNER’S INVESTIGATIONINTO THE STATE’S CONTACTTRACKING PROGRAM FINDING MOREPROBLEMS WITH IT ..

KEEP IN MIND..

CONTACT TRACING IS CONSIDEREDA KEY TOOL TO SLOW THE SPREAD OFCOVID.

THANKS FOR STAYING WITHUS I’M PATRICK NOLAN.

NOW WITHSCHOOLS ABOUT TO OPEN OUR ..KATIE LAGRONE IS LOOKING INTOWHETHER THE STATE AND OUR SCHOOLDISTRICTS HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TOTRACE CASES THAT SHOW UP ONCAMPUS(45-53(112-117)CONTACT TRACINGEXPERTS CALL IT CRITICAL TOSTOPPING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19.(Dr. Mangat)5:31- we’ve got to be on it likethis.IN FLORIDA, THE PRACTICE OFTRACING THE VIRUS FROM PERSON TOPERSON HAS HAD ITS CHALLENGES.(previous story contact tracinglag times)i still haven’t gotten a phonecall.(Shevrin jones contact tracingstory)he young lady who called- shewasn’t knowledgeable at all,BUT WITH THE REOPENING OFSCHOOLS PROMPTING CONCERNS ABOUTCASE SPIKE━CONTACT TRACING ON CAMPUSREMAINS A WORK IN PROGRESS.(pinellas county health dept7:56- in terms of challenges,it’s just another place to go docontact tracing reallyPINELLAS COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS100 TRACERSWHILE ADDITIONALHIRES MAY BE NECESSARY ONCSCHOOLS REOPENTHE PROCESS OFTRACING STUDENTS WILL LARGELY BEACCOMPLISHED THROUGH ADULTS,ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT.(pinellas county health dept)3:18- we would talk to teachersand parents, and responsibleadults.

We wouldn’t do contacttracing with a 6 year old.ACROSS THE STATE, 4400 TRACEARE ON THE JOBWITH SOMECOUNTIES RAMPING UP ROSTERSBEFORE THE SCHOOL BELL RINGS.LEE COUNTY PLANS TO ADD 78PEOPLE TO TRACEST.

LUCIE COUNTY IS IN THEPROCESS OF HIRING ANOTHER 20.(st.

Lucie)"3:29- its in combinationschool opening in the nextseveral weeks and just managinour regular caseload."HEALTH DEPARTMENTS WILL LEADTRACING EFFORTS FOR SCHOOL━AND WHILE YOUNGER PATIENTS *MAY*POSE CHALLENGES ON THE Q &AHEALTH OFFICIALS FEAR THE LACKOF RAPID RESULTS WILL POSE THEBIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR TRACERSTRYING TO CONTAIN AN OUTBREAK ONCAMPUS.(st.

Lucie)6:08- the sooner we are aware ofa positive case, the quicker wecan reach out.BUT DOCTORS CRITICAL OF THESTATE’S PLAN TO REOPEN SCHOOLSREMAIN CONCERNED.10:54- the state already doesn’thave enough contact tracers ingeneral without a schoolreopening.COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS AREUSING CARES ACT FUNDING FOR NEHIRES━AND HAVE THROUGH THE ENDOF THE YEAR TO USE IT.KATIE LAGRONE F4IYCCONTACT TRACERS IN FLORIDA ARENOW USING NEW SOFTWARE TO HELPMAKE THOSE TRACING EFFORTS MOREORGANIZED AND EFFICIENT.BACK IN JUNE, THE STATE QUIETLYCONTRACTED WITH A NEW YORK BASEDCOMPANY FOR $2.75 MILLIONDOLLARS.THE COMPANY, KNOWN AS HEALTHYTOGETHER, IS HELPING STATESRESPOND TO THE COVID-19 CRISISTHROUGH SOFTWARE-BASEDTECHNOLOGY LOADED ON PCS ANDLAPTOPS.

HERE IN FLORIDA, THEPROGRAM IS HELPING CONTACTTRACERS INPUT INFORMATIONFASTER- REACHING MORE PEOPLEMORE QUICKLY TO HELP SLOW THESPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS.the ultimate goal really is tojust shorten the time fromidentifying who’s sick tohelping those who are exposedrecognizing they shouldquarantine themselves so theycan also stop spreadingTHE NEW SOFTWARE STARTED ROLLINGOUT A FEW WEEKS AGO AND,ACCORDING TO THE