HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.14.20 For Immediate Release_ Public Health to Prioritize Case Investigation and Contact Tracing as COVID Cases Spike
From:Almaguer, Lisa
To:Alpert, Bruce;Bennett, Robin;Clerk of the Board;Connelly, Bill;Cook, Holly;Kimmelshue, Tod;Lambert, Steve;
Lucero, Debra;McCracken, Shari;Paulsen, Shaina;Pickett, Andy;Ring, Brian;Ritter, Tami;Rodas, Amalia;
Sweeney, Kathleen;Teeter, Doug;York, Danette;Bhakta, Krishan;Johnston, Dana;DOC, PublicHealth
Cc:Kirk, Mia
Subject:For Immediate Release: Public Health to Prioritize Case Investigation and Contact Tracing as COVID Cases Spike
Date:Monday, December 14, 2020 1:44:30 PM
The following press release has just been issued…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14,2020
Public Health to Prioritize Case Investigation and Contact Tracing as COVID Cases Spike
Probable cases to be added to the dashboard
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. – The number of COVID-19 cases reported over the weekend for Butte
County through the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE) system is
too large for Butte County Public Health (BCPH) staff to fully verify all cases in time for today’s
dashboard report.
Over the weekend, BCPH pulls COVID case data from CalREDIE and goes through the laborious
process of verifying cases and initiating case investigation before adding them to Monday’s
dashboard update. This is necessary to avoid counting cases that may appear in the report as
duplicates, belonging to another county or confirming cases from other sources.
At this time, during the significant increase, there are several hundred cases in the system that
need to be verified. BCPH will verify these cases in the coming days and provide an update as
soon as possible.
BCPH is working to bring on additional staff to meet the needs of increasing cases.
Additionally, due to an increase use of “rapid” antigen tests, BCPH will now be reporting
antigen positive cases as probable cases on the dashboard. Antigen tests detect proteins on
the surface of the virus, in contrast to a PCR test that detects viral genetic material, and are
considered probable if the test result is positive. Only positive PCR tests are considered
confirmed cases by the California Department of Public Health and used for COVID-19 metrics
and dashboards. Both confirmed and probable cases are reportable.
BCPH conducts case investigation and contact tracing on both probable and confirmed cases,
which leads to a higher workload than what the current dashboard (only confirmed cases)
reflects.
Due to the recent increase in cases, if an individual tests positive or have had close contact
with a positive case, you may not be contacted by BCPH. Contact tracing efforts must be
prioritized to break chains of transmission, stop outbreaks and respond to cases among those
most at risk for COVID complications. BCPH also coordinates outbreak management for
congregate living facilities and schools. Contact tracing priority will be given to:
Older adults
Healthcare workers
People at increased risk for complications
High risk facilities
Exposed to COVID:
Residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 should follow the instructions to safely
isolate during their infection. Per CDC guidelines, isolation can end 10 days after the onset of
symptoms (or after the specimen collection date in people without symptoms), as long as the
person has been fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication and symptoms are
resolving.
Instructions for Persons in Isolation (tinyurl.com/InstructionsforIsolation)
Returning to work/school following a COVID-19 Diagnosis
If you have been exposed to COVID:
Residents who may have been exposed (close contact) to someone with COVID-19 should
follow the instructions to self-quarantine. Close contact means that a person has been within
six feet of a person confirmed with COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more.
Stay home for 14 days from last day of exposure
Avoid contact with others
Don’t share household items
Wear a mask if you are in contact with others, including household members
###
Lisa Almaguer
Communications Manager / PIO
BUTTE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH
202 Mira Loma Drive | Oroville, CA 95965
T:
COVID-19CallCenter:530.552.3050Open8am-5pm,M-F
“Nationally Accredited, 09/13/17”
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COUNTY OF BUTTE E-MAIL DISCLAIMER: This e-mail and any attachment thereto may contain private, confidential, and privileged
material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this e-mail (or any attachments thereto) by
other than the County of Butte or the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are NOT the intended recipient, please contact the
sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this e-mail and any attachments thereto.
Public Health Department Danette York, M.P.H., Director
Robert Bernstein, M.D., Health Officer
COVID-19 Call Center Line T: 530.552.3050
202 Mira Loma Drive T: 530.552.4000
buttecounty.net/publichealth
Oroville, California 95965 F: 530.538.5387
/hL5ΏЊВ LƓƭƷƩǒĭƷźƚƓƭ ŅƚƩ tĻƩƭƚƓƭ źƓ LƭƚƌğƷźƚƓ
Necessary to prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
ŷĻƭĻ źƓƭƷƩǒĭƷźƚƓƭ ğƩĻ ŅƚƩ ƭƚƒĻƚƓĻ Ǟŷƚ ŷğƭ ƷĻƭƷĻķ ƦƚƭźƷźǝĻ ŅƚƩ /hL5ΏЊВ͵
You can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to other people by doing the following things:
Stay at your approved isolation location at all times.
o You do not need to wear a mask while alone in your home or room. However, you should wear a
mask when you are indoors in parts of a house that you share with other people.
o You may go outside in the open air without a mask or face cover if you can maintain a distance of at
least 6 feet between yourself and others.
5h bh let visitors come inside your home or room except for health care workers or a campus or county-
designated support person wearing a mask.
If sharing a bathroom in a home, open the window or turn on a fan, and disinfect bathroom surfaces after
each use, including all door and faucet handles.
If you are staying in a motel, special arrangements can be made to minimize housekeeping staff being
exposed.
Always use a tissue to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue away and
wash your hands with soap and water.
5h bhʹ
Go to visit relatives or other people.
Attend any gatherings of friends or co-workers, large parties, or social events.
Go to public places such as a grocery store, the post office, a restaurant, a theater, a gym, a school, etc.
Go calling first. If it is a medical emergency, call the facility
ahead of time to let them know you are in isolation for COVID-19.
Go to your place of employment.
Ride together in a private car with any other person unless both of you are wearing a mask, and only do so
when absolutely necessary (approved medical visit, etc).
Use public transportation like buses, taxicabs, trains, and airplanes.
tĻƩ /5/ ŭǒźķĻƌźƓĻƭͲ źƭƚƌğƷźƚƓ ĭğƓ ĻƓķ ЊЉ ķğǤƭ ğŅƷĻƩ ƷŷĻ ƚƓƭĻƷ ƚŅ ƭǤƒƦƷƚƒƭ ΛƚƩ ğŅƷĻƩ ƷŷĻ ƭƦĻĭźƒĻƓ ĭƚƌƌĻĭƷźƚƓ ķğƷĻ źƓ
ƦĻƚƦƌĻ ǞźƷŷƚǒƷ ƭǤƒƦƷƚƒƭΜͲ ğƭ ƌƚƓŭ ğƭ ƷŷĻ ƦĻƩƭƚƓ ŷğƭ ĬĻĻƓ ŅĻǝĻƩ ŅƩĻĻ ŅƚƩ ЋЍ ŷƚǒƩƭ ǞźƷŷƚǒƷ ŅĻǝĻƩ ƩĻķǒĭźƓŭ
ƒĻķźĭğƷźƚƓ ğƓķ ƭǤƒƦƷƚƒƭ ğƩĻ ƩĻƭƚƌǝźƓŭ͵
We need you to do your part in protecting the health of others. If you have questions, please call the .ǒƷƷĻ /ƚǒƓƷǤ
/hL5ΏЊВ /ğƌƌ /ĻƓƷĻƩ ğƷ ЎЌЉΏЎЎЋΏЌЉЎЉ ΛaƚƓķğǤΏCƩźķğǤͲ Б ğƒ Ʒƚ ЎʹЉЉ Ʀƒ͵Μ You can also visit the Butte County Public
Health COVID-19 Website at www.buttecounty.net/ph/COVID19.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
COVID-19: Instructions for Persons in Isolation
Version 2.0 August 29, 2020
1