"This is the way we can stop the spread..." ISDH taking over contact tracing

Contact tracing is a way to notify you if you have been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Now, the state is taking the lead on that.

Some respects right now we're in the second quarter in my mind.

Probably coming out of the locker for halftime come friday."

The state of indiana is stepping up to help local health departments when it comes to "contact tracing".

Indiana governor eric holcomb says this will help reduce the spread of covid-19.

Good evening and thanks for joining us.

Today -- governor holcomb announced the state is partnering with maximus to help with what's called "contact tracing".

That's tracking people who may have been exposed to covid-19.

News 10's sarah lehman is live in our newsroom.

She has more on how this should slow the spread of the virus and what it means for "you".

"contact tracing" has been happening since even before covid-19 with many other diseases.

With so many people contracting this virus it can be overwhelming for local health departments.

That's why indiana's state department of health is stepping in to help.

"this is the way we can stop the spread" the state of indiana is launching "a centralized covid-19 tracing and call system.

It's a way to notify you if you if you have been in contact with a covid-19 positive patient.

"an important requirenment for us to being able to open back up in our state is that we must be able to test individuals quickly and isolate them if they are positive and then contact individuals who have been in close contact with them and let them know they must quarinitine themselves."

Before this announcement -- most counties in indiana were handling contact tracing on their own.

The state realized a lot of counties were overwhelmend because of their amount of cases.

"it's essential that we have ready access to testing.

So obviously great progress on the horizon in that regard.

And the ability to respond in a timely fashion to positive cases and get any of their contacts into quarinitne to reduce the transmission" so -- here's what will happen if you test positive or, you are identified as a contact.

You'll get a text or e-mail asking you to contact the state health department.

If you do not respond within 4-hours... you'll be contacted again.

Then..

You will be asked to send "a daily update" on your symptoms. even though the i-s-d-h is taking the lead... local health departments will still have access to that information.

"that system will be able to ping them about wow this is a person who works in a long term care facility or this is an individual who works at a meat packing plant.

So those are the thing's that i'm hoping our local health departmetns can really take to heart look at and then act on."

Dr. box says they expect this plan to go on live on may 11th.

She says in total they expect it to cost 43 million dollars per year.

That's including the call center and technology platform.

But they're still finalizing details.

Reporting live in the newsroom.

Sarah lehman.news 10 back to you.

Health officials in richland county, illinois want residents to be on alert tonight.

They say someone with someone with covid-19 has someone with they say tonight.

To be on alert want residents county, illinois richland officials in health back to you.

Lehman.news 10 sarah lehman.news 10 back to you.