Contact tracing in schools

The county health department has been very busy over the last couple of weeks.

Schools are beginning their second week of school and some across our area have already reported positive cases of COVID-19.

Very busy these days....working to trace back each case to determine who may have been exposed.

News channel 2's brent kearney reports on the protocols when the case is in a school.

Once the school is notified of a positive case, a district wide notification goes out alerting students and staff as that's happening the county health department is contact tracing to see who may have been exposed.

Oneida county director of public health phyllis ellis outlined how the process works.

"we will do a whole investigation for contacts as well with the school and go through a system of where the contact has been."

To determine possible exposures, the tracers will look back at who may have been in contact with the individual, if its a student, their schedules and seating arrangements would be key in the investigation.

"after discussing with school we will determine who is a close contact.

Because its not everyone.

We will determine who out of the group or cohort of the student are contacts.

Based on that we would do that like you were a case."

While the school notifies the general population, the health department will notify specific people or families that may have been exposed.

A situation the holland patent school district has yet to gothr intendent tells me they're prepared.

.

None .

None "at that point they will inform us to their contact tracing plans.

We will provide them with the information they need whether its seating charts or attendence for the day.

I feel that with our staff and supports tha we have.

We welcomed back our students last monday.

We had a great start and look forward to that nnuing."

Brent krney newchannel > going county by county with the newest coronavirus numbers.

Trace back each case to determine who may have beenee protols when the se is in a school.

Ce the school inotifieda distri wide notificatn goes out