Public urged to work with contact tracing teams over Christmas period
3 years ago

Public urged to work with contact tracing teams over Christmas period

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy People who test positive for Covid-19 over Christmas have been urged to work with contact tracing teams to help prevent the spread of Omicron The Public Health Agency said there has been a significant increase in demand on its Contact Tracing Service as the number of cases surge. Dr Elizabeth Mitchell, director of CTS said: “We know that the last thing people want to think about at this time of year is Covid-19, but unfortunately coronavirus doesn’t take a Christmas break. “The Contact Tracing Service won’t be taking a break either though, and we will be here to work with people to help prevent the spread of the virus. “As a result of the recent sharp rise in daily positive Covid-19 cases throughout Northern Ireland the Public Health Agency has continued to adjust its operations to help manage the significantly increased demands upon CTS.

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History of this topic

L.A. County has cut back on COVID-19 contact tracing as supercontagious BA.5 surges
2 years, 5 months ago

L.A. County has cut back on COVID-19 contact tracing as supercontagious BA.5 surges

LA Times  

After Julianne Cline went out and got tested for COVID-19 this June, text messages and voicemails soon piled up from Los Angeles County contact tracers who wanted to talk to her. Besides, she said, “I just didn’t feel comfortable sharing my personal experience with the county.” As the pandemic has dragged on, L.A. County contact tracers have struggled to reach …

Schools, businesses to handle contact tracing as WA COVID case numbers skyrocket
2 years, 10 months ago

Schools, businesses to handle contact tracing as WA COVID case numbers skyrocket

ABC  

WA's Health Minister has admitted some organisations, including schools, are now being asked to handle their own contact tracing, as case numbers continue to surge. "Schools hold attendance and class list information and, rather than providing this information to WA Health and then awaiting their advice about close contacts, schools will use the step-by-step guide provided by WA Health to …

Head of WA's COVID-19 contact tracing reveals massive effort to gear up for state's reopening
3 years ago

Head of WA's COVID-19 contact tracing reveals massive effort to gear up for state's reopening

ABC  

Contact tracers are gearing up ahead of Western Australia's anticipated reopening date, as more and more locations around the state are listed as potential exposure sites. Key points: Head contact tracer Ben Scalley says public servants have been recruited from all across government to join the contact tracing efforts Teams are based throughout regional WA including in the South West, …

L.A. County contact tracers struggle to reach, interview people with COVID-19
3 years, 3 months ago

L.A. County contact tracers struggle to reach, interview people with COVID-19

LA Times  

Maureen Calderon, an L.A. County contact tracer, said sometimes people with COVID-19 are “so inundated with calls from friends or family that we couldn’t leave a message because the voicemail was full.” Los Angeles County has continued to struggle to reach people infected with the coronavirus as the pandemic drags on, with contract tracers interviewing only around 40% of the …

Contact tracing takes a back seat during latest COVID surge
3 years, 4 months ago

Contact tracing takes a back seat during latest COVID surge

Associated Press  

Health investigators across the U.S. are finding it nearly impossible to keep up with the deluge of new COVID-19 infections and carry out contact tracing efforts that were once seen as a pillar of the nation’s pandemic response. Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of global health and infectious diseases at the Stanford University School of Medicine, said that while contact …

Covid contact tracing to be scaled down, change in quarantine rule
3 years, 6 months ago

Covid contact tracing to be scaled down, change in quarantine rule

NL Times  

Based on advice from the Outbreak Management Team, the government will soon scale down coronavirus source and contact tracing. Last week, the OMT said that quarantine and source and contact tracing can be adjusted as more and more people are now vaccinated against Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The RIVM and health service GGD, who is …

Melbourne COVID outbreak at 'critical' point for avoiding further Victorian restrictions
3 years, 7 months ago

Melbourne COVID outbreak at 'critical' point for avoiding further Victorian restrictions

ABC  

Victorian health officials have said "everything is on the table" as they review whether further restrictions are needed to respond to a growing COVID-19 outbreak in Melbourne. Professor Sutton said "everything is on the table" while authorities reviewed restrictions, which included large public events like AFL games. Dr Haikerwal has previously been critical of the state's contact tracing efforts, but …

Covid-19: Delhi makes new tracing push with revised targets
3 years, 7 months ago

Covid-19: Delhi makes new tracing push with revised targets

Hindustan Times  

With Delhi’s Covid-19 case trajectory and positivity rate falling, the state government has given district administrations fresh guidelines for home isolation, and updated their contact tracing targets in an attempt to revive the test-trace-treat system that went on the back-burner due to the unprecedented surge in infections since mid-April. On March 15, government data showed, districts traced around 32 contacts …

The full list of contact tracing sites in Brisbane, Moreton Bay and Gladstone linked to the Queensland coronavirus cluster
3 years, 9 months ago

The full list of contact tracing sites in Brisbane, Moreton Bay and Gladstone linked to the Queensland coronavirus cluster

ABC  

Contact tracers are working through a long list of sites in Brisbane, Moreton Bay and Gladstone visited by confirmed COVID-19 cases between March 20 and March 27. Close contact sites Saturday, March 20 Shinobi Ramen Noodle shop, Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre between 12:00pm and 2:16pm Black Hops Brewery, East Brisbane between 12:00pm and 2:00pm Green Beacon Brewing Co., Teneriffe between …

Major contact tracing effort continues across Brisbane as immunologist warns unknown source of COVID infection is 'definitely a concern'
3 years, 9 months ago

Major contact tracing effort continues across Brisbane as immunologist warns unknown source of COVID infection is 'definitely a concern'

ABC  

A major contact tracing effort will continue in south-east Queensland today as authorities work to determine if a new locally acquired case of COVID-19 in a Brisbane landscaper has spread further in the community. Queensland COVID-19 snapshot In latest reporting period: Deaths: 11 11 New cases: 5,698 Queensland's vaccine rollout: First dose: 93.2 per cent 93.2 per cent Second dose: …

California’s new contact-tracing app: What you need to know
4 years, 1 month ago

California’s new contact-tracing app: What you need to know

LA Times  

Gavin Newsom has announced a voluntary smartphone app to alert people if they were in close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. Called CA Notify, the app relies on a tech framework created by Apple and Google that uses Apple and Android phones’ short-range Bluetooth radios to determine when two devices have been near one another for …

For contact tracers, COVID-19 fight is personal: ‘I understand hardship’
4 years, 1 month ago

For contact tracers, COVID-19 fight is personal: ‘I understand hardship’

LA Times  

Sometimes when he calls, the person on the other end of the phone already knows. It’s people from my community.” Before data underscored how marginalized communities were disproportionately hit by the virus, which has killed at least 7,700 in Los Angeles County, Gardner knew. A contact tracer with the county Department of Public Health, he didn’t need to see the …

Melbourne's suburban coronavirus contact tracing teams were supposed to be running by now. So what's the hold-up?
4 years, 2 months ago

Melbourne's suburban coronavirus contact tracing teams were supposed to be running by now. So what's the hold-up?

ABC  

In early September, as Victoria's daily COVID-19 case numbers were finally dropping out of triple figures, Premier Daniel Andrews announced the creation of a system of local response units in Melbourne, to replace the highly centralised system that had failed to stop the second wave. Key points: Six local contact tracing hubs in metropolitan Melbourne were promised two months ago …

Contact tracing followed by quarantine will stop COVID-19 from spreading: WHO
4 years, 2 months ago

Contact tracing followed by quarantine will stop COVID-19 from spreading: WHO

Firstpost  

“I know there is a fatigue but the virus has shown that when we let our guard down, it can surge back at breakneck speed and threaten hospitals and health systems.” Contacts of people confirmed to have coronavirus should be properly quarantined, the World Health Organization said on Monday, as the pandemic surges in Europe and North America. “I know …

The five hallmarks of successful contact tracing during the coronavirus pandemic
4 years, 2 months ago

The five hallmarks of successful contact tracing during the coronavirus pandemic

ABC  

Contact tracing is the process of finding, assessing and managing the people who have been exposed to a disease, according to the World Health Organization. "One of our approaches in Australia is doing contact tracing in the first 24 hours of receiving a diagnosis, and I believe that Victoria is at 100 per cent at the moment," says Professor McLaws. …

Which countries are doing well with contact tracing for coronavirus? A look at South Korea, Singapore, China, New Zealand and Belgium
4 years, 2 months ago

Which countries are doing well with contact tracing for coronavirus? A look at South Korea, Singapore, China, New Zealand and Belgium

ABC  

Victoria's contact tracing system has been under scrutiny in recent weeks, while New South Wales has been held up as a gold standard. SARS experience helped South Korea's leap into action South Korea has just under 25,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, about 2,000 fewer than Australia, with about double the national population. "Contact tracing has the manual part to it, but …

Coronavirus: Test and trace system ‘rendered ineffective’ by rate of infections, government scientific advisers believe
4 years, 2 months ago

Coronavirus: Test and trace system ‘rendered ineffective’ by rate of infections, government scientific advisers believe

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Surging coronavirus …

UK Covid Test and Trace system records worst ever week
4 years, 2 months ago

UK Covid Test and Trace system records worst ever week

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Only 62.6 per cent of close contacts of people who …

Spam calls are hindering efforts to contact trace and track Covid-19
4 years, 3 months ago

Spam calls are hindering efforts to contact trace and track Covid-19

CNN  

CNN — Nine months into a pandemic that has killed 210,000 people in the United States, health officials are imploring residents to answer their phones. “If contact tracers do not hear back, a text message will be sent with a home visit time and date, and visits may be conducted without confirmation,” the health officials said. About 60% of contact …

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19?
4 years, 3 months ago

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19?

Associated Press  

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19? The goal of contact tracing is to alert people who may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus, and prevent them from spreading it to others. Health experts say contact tracing is key to containing the virus and allowing places to reopen more safely. After a person tests …

Contact Tracing Questions Arise After Trump Tests Positive For The Coronavirus
4 years, 3 months ago

Contact Tracing Questions Arise After Trump Tests Positive For The Coronavirus

NPR  

Contact Tracing Questions Arise After Trump Tests Positive For The Coronavirus The President has tested positive for the coronavirus. NPR speaks to Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of the school of public health at Brown University, about the implications. JHA: But it's very distressing to see the president of the United States get infected from what is a disease that …

Largest Contact Tracing Study in India Shows Covid-19 Transmitted Mainly by 'Superspreaders'
4 years, 3 months ago

Largest Contact Tracing Study in India Shows Covid-19 Transmitted Mainly by 'Superspreaders'

News 18  

The transmission of COVID-19 in India has been driven mainly by superspreaders or a small percentage of infected people, according to the largest contact tracing study in the country which also shows that children are key to the spread of the novel coronavirus. The researchers, including those from the Government of Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, found that over 70 …

Largest study of COVID-19 transmission highlights essential role of super-spreaders
4 years, 3 months ago

Largest study of COVID-19 transmission highlights essential role of super-spreaders

LA Times  

In the bleak ranking of worst COVID-19 outbreaks, the United States, with 7.2 million infections, is likely to be eclipsed only by India, which has 1 million fewer cases but is catching up fast. Yet parts of India have led the world in one aspect of the pandemic response: contact tracing — the labor-intensive, time-sensitive, painstaking work of identifying people …

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with covid-19?
4 years, 3 months ago

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with covid-19?

Live Mint  

The goal of contact tracing is to alert people who may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus, and prevent them from spreading it to others. Health experts say contact tracing is key to containing the virus and allowing places to reopen more safely. After a person tests positive for the virus, a contact tracer would get in touch …

Why Contact-Tracing Apps Haven’t Slowed Covid-19 in the US
4 years, 4 months ago

Why Contact-Tracing Apps Haven’t Slowed Covid-19 in the US

Wired  

As Covid-19 spread across the United States this spring, Jodie Pond, the health director in Teton County, Wyoming, looked forward to deploying a new weapon against the pandemic. A smartphone app would help her small team of contact tracers find people exposed to the virus more quickly. So in July, when Covid-19 cases in the county spiked, Pond’s small department …

Contact Tracing Apps May Be Ineffective in Reducing Covid-19 Spread: Study
4 years, 4 months ago

Contact Tracing Apps May Be Ineffective in Reducing Covid-19 Spread: Study

News 18  

Contact tracing apps are unlikely to contain the spread of COVID-19 without proper public health control measures such as physical distancing and closure of indoor spaces, according to a review of studies. "Across a number of modelling studies, we found a consistent picture that although automated contact tracing could support manual contact tracing, the systems will require large-scale uptake by …

Local knowledge vital to contact tracing success in fight against coronavirus
4 years, 4 months ago

Local knowledge vital to contact tracing success in fight against coronavirus

ABC  

When coronavirus hit the rural community of Colac in south-west Victoria it took everybody by surprise, including authorities who were reportedly slow to respond and contain it. Key points: A testing blitz is underway in regional Victoria after a concerning number of 'mystery cases' have been reported Local contact tracing teams have been set up in Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat …

Mandatory quarantine for Covid-19 patient's close contacts
4 years, 4 months ago

Mandatory quarantine for Covid-19 patient's close contacts

NL Times  

The government is implementing mandatory quarantine for people who had close contact with a Covid-19 patient, even if they themselves have not yet tested positive for the coronavirus, Minister Hugo de Jonge of Public Health said to parliament. "In recent weeks we have heard from the GGDs that people are not cooperating properly with the source and contact investigation," De …

As COVID-19 cases surge, L.A. librarians join the ranks of contact tracers
4 years, 5 months ago

As COVID-19 cases surge, L.A. librarians join the ranks of contact tracers

LA Times  

Denice Nossett is one of dozens of librarians and library staff in the Los Angeles Public Library system who have stepped up to do contact tracing work. “The reason I volunteered for contact tracing is that it’s really the same thing” as being a librarian, Leyva said. “It’s still helping people, it’s helping my community, it’s trying to get my …

Coronavirus contact tracing shows COVID-19 problems in Victoria, NSW and Queensland
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus contact tracing shows COVID-19 problems in Victoria, NSW and Queensland

ABC  

It seems every time daily case numbers appear to drop, it's not long before Melburnians get stung by a dramatic new number. A single day doesn't tell us much about the state's trajectory, but over the past week Victoria has averaged more than 400 new infections every day. But those cases relate to infections first found days ago, so it …

Urgent coronavirus testing and contact tracing underway in Logan and Brisbane's southside
4 years, 5 months ago

Urgent coronavirus testing and contact tracing underway in Logan and Brisbane's southside

ABC  

Queensland Health is leading a contact tracing and testing response in Logan and Brisbane's southside encompassing multiple restaurants, two schools and a medical practice after two new COVID-19 cases were detected. 'It could be the start of Queensland hotspots' Gold Coast Primary Health Network chair Roger Halliwell said re-closing the border will be considered by authorities "quiet seriously" in response …

Coronavirus: 15 staff at a large NHS trust test positive for Covid-19
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: 15 staff at a large NHS trust test positive for Covid-19

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Fifteen employees at a large NHS trust have tested positive for …

Victorian coronavirus cases who don't answer their phone to contact tracers will soon get a visit from the ADF
4 years, 5 months ago

Victorian coronavirus cases who don't answer their phone to contact tracers will soon get a visit from the ADF

ABC  

Melburnians have been getting used to seeing Australian Defence Force personnel in uniform patrolling the streets, after the state called in 1,400 reinforcements to get on top of the spike in new coronavirus cases. Premier Daniel Andrews said: "That's not something to be afraid of, that's just everyone working together as one team to make sure that we've got the …

Contact tracing falters in Barcelona amid virus spike
4 years, 5 months ago

Contact tracing falters in Barcelona amid virus spike

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — When Sonia Ramírez was told by her local clinic that she had tested positive for the coronavirus, she expected to be asked about anyone she had come in close contact with recently. “They didn’t even ask if I had been to work recently, which of course I had.” With the virus rebounding in parts of Spain, it …

Lanarkshire: Officials investigating coronavirus outbreak at NHS contact tracing centre
4 years, 5 months ago

Lanarkshire: Officials investigating coronavirus outbreak at NHS contact tracing centre

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. One senior source said: “The contact tracing service is now …

Coronavirus: Government’s test and trace system failing in areas battling major outbreaks, leaked analysis reveals
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Government’s test and trace system failing in areas battling major outbreaks, leaked analysis reveals

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Leaked analysis obtained by The Independent shows that across northwest England, the national tracing service …

Conspiracy theories debunked: Here’s what COVID contact tracers really do
4 years, 5 months ago

Conspiracy theories debunked: Here’s what COVID contact tracers really do

Salon  

In the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, contact tracing is downright buzzy, and not always in a good way. Misinformation abounds, from tales that people who talk to contact tracers will be sent to nonexistent "FEMA camps" — a rumor so prevalent that health officials in Washington state had to put out a statement in May debunking it — to …

Coronavirus Outbreak: What is contact tracing? How does it help in curbing COVID-19 cases?
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus Outbreak: What is contact tracing? How does it help in curbing COVID-19 cases?

Firstpost  

The focus of contact tracing is to find close contacts or people who were within two metres of the infected person for at least 10 minutes or so. The goal of contact tracing is to alert people who may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus and prevent them from spreading it to others. The focus is on close …

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19?
4 years, 5 months ago

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19?

Associated Press  

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19? The goal of contact tracing is to alert people who may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus, and prevent them from spreading it to others. Health experts say contact tracing is key to containing the virus and allowing places to reopen more safely. After a person tests …

As Florida sets records for Covid-19 cases, health authorities often fail to do contact tracing
4 years, 6 months ago

As Florida sets records for Covid-19 cases, health authorities often fail to do contact tracing

CNN  

CNN — When Shaila Rivera and her new husband returned home from their honeymoon and tested positive for Covid-19, they expected a phone call from their local health authorities in Florida asking for a list of people they’d been near so that contact tracing could begin. The CDC gives detailed contact tracing guidance to state health departments, explaining that “monitoring …

New York county issued subpoenas to force people to speak with coronavirus contact tracers. It worked.
4 years, 6 months ago

New York county issued subpoenas to force people to speak with coronavirus contact tracers. It worked.

CNN  

CNN — Public health officials in Rockland County, New York, issued subpoenas with expensive fines attached to force people connected to a coronavirus cluster to speak with contact tracers. Rockland County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert said county officials issued the subpoenas after the party-goers, all young adults in their 20s, attended a large party in Clarkstown on June …

WHO Chief On COVID-19 Pandemic: 'The Worst Is Yet To Come'
4 years, 6 months ago

WHO Chief On COVID-19 Pandemic: 'The Worst Is Yet To Come'

NPR  

WHO Chief On COVID-19 Pandemic: 'The Worst Is Yet To Come' Enlarge this image toggle caption Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images The head of the World Health Organization is warning that the COVID-19 pandemic is speeding up, and he criticized governments that have failed to establish reliable contact tracing to stop the spread of the …

How Germany Staffed Up Contact Tracing Teams To Contain Its Coronavirus Outbreak
4 years, 6 months ago

How Germany Staffed Up Contact Tracing Teams To Contain Its Coronavirus Outbreak

NPR  

How Germany Staffed Up Contact Tracing Teams To Contain Its Coronavirus Outbreak Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Probst/AP Michael Probst/AP Germany, a country of more than 83 million people, has flattened its coronavirus curve, dropping from a peak of more than 6,000 new cases a day to just around 600 now. "We've recruited staff from other district authorities, including …

Coronavirus | Contact tracing key to containing COVID-19, says Health Ministry
4 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus | Contact tracing key to containing COVID-19, says Health Ministry

The Hindu  

Contact tracing continues to be a critical component to contain the coronavirus epidemic and ensure that the health infrastructure is not overwhelmed, said the Health Ministry on Friday. It said the lockdown provided breathing space for the government to ramp up testing facilities and the health infrastructure, which ensured improved recovery rate through timely detection and clinical management of cases. …

Covid-19 in India: Time for bold experimentation
4 years, 6 months ago

Covid-19 in India: Time for bold experimentation

Hindustan Times  

To counter the Covid-19 crisis in India, many have recommended raising the annual health expenditure, primarily for testing, tracing, isolation, and universal mask-wearing. Therefore, high and consistent commitment from local government is crucial to ensure that programmes work as intended.” A health official collects a swab sample from a man to test for the Covid-19 test, Chennai, June 16, 2020 …

WA's disease control experts are winning the race to contain coronavirus, but the COVID-19 fight is not over yet
4 years, 7 months ago

WA's disease control experts are winning the race to contain coronavirus, but the COVID-19 fight is not over yet

ABC  

The most frightening thing for disease control expert Clare Huppatz is just how fast a virus can spread. Key points: A contact tracing team was set up before the first WA case emerged A contact tracing team was set up before the first WA case emerged Its job is to prevent infected people spreading coronavirus further Its job is to …

Coronavirus: Government’s contact tracing app could ‘exacerbate health inequalities’
4 years, 7 months ago

Coronavirus: Government’s contact tracing app could ‘exacerbate health inequalities’

The Independent  

Only half of manual workers, the unemployed and state pensioners say they will download the government’s contact tracing app, according to a new survey, sparking fresh concerns that the system could exacerbate health inequalities. Adam Steventon, director of data analytics at the Health Foundation, said: “The NHS contact tracing app could play a critical role in the fight against Covid-19, …

Coronavirus: Only 4 in 10 Covid-19 patients contacted at start of government's 'test and trace' scheme, leaked figures show
4 years, 7 months ago

Coronavirus: Only 4 in 10 Covid-19 patients contacted at start of government's 'test and trace' scheme, leaked figures show

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Only four in …

Coronavirus test and trace system plunged into chaos as NHS staff unable to log in
4 years, 7 months ago

Coronavirus test and trace system plunged into chaos as NHS staff unable to log in

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The new NHS test and trace system is being rolled out across England with the …

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