Covid contact tracing still challenging in Pennsylvania

Contact tracing remains a challenge in Pennsylvania, officials said Monday.

From Jan. 10 to Jan. 16, only 18% of the 46,708 covid cases reported had a case investigation started within 24 hours, according to the Department of Health. An additional 5% had a case investigation started within 48 hours.

“We continue to thank those who answer the call when public health professionals have called to complete their case investigation as this helps notify close contacts of their exposure as well as making a significant difference in the fight against covid-19, but I believe we can do more,” said Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam.

Officials said 14% of cases — 6,539 — in the reporting week were successfully contacted by health professionals. Others were left voicemails and texts and sent letters requesting a return call.

There were more than 1,400 contact tracing staff members working between Jan. 10 and Jan. 16 who monitored more than 7,000 contacts identified during investigations. There was an increase of more than 2,500 contacts exposed to covid-19 from the previous week.

More than 1,000 have been hired as contact tracers through the company, Insight Global. Some have been promoted to case investigators due to increasing case loads. The Department of Health is working in partnership with more than 150 organizations and county and municipal health departments to expand contact tracing.

The Department of Health said more people have been effectively reached since the implementation in October of the Contact Tracing Management System. Of the more than 83,500 people who came in close contact with someone infected with covid-19, the department said, 76% were reached by contact tracers.

Between Jan. 10 and Jan. 16, more than 6,000 contacts were processed and more than 4,000 reached to communicate their quarantine status and offer ongoing symptom monitoring. About 15% of the total contacts identified during the week were not reached, and 875 are still in the process of being contacted.