The COVID-19 Community Team will work to make sure that anyone, regardless of the language they speak, will get the support and information they need. Raleigh, NC 27699-2000 What if miss a call from COVID-19 Community Team? Some communities will require more Community Team members due to higher numbers of people who have tested positive for COVID-19. This will allow the Community Team to reach people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 and share any information and support they may need to stay at home until the risk of giving the virus to others has passed. Three attempts were made to contact each enumerated close contact; if reached, each contact was referred for COVID-19 testing, irrespective of new-onset signs or symptoms. Any information that is shared with the COVID-19 Community Team is a private health record and is strictly confidential. What type of technology does the COVID-19 Community Team use to track contacts and collect information? In some instances, people may not know if they have come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. NCDHHS partners with local health department employees and contractors through the Carolina Community Tracing Collaborative (by Community Care of North Carolina and Child Care Health Consultants) to support COVID-19 contact tracing. DHEC has been conducting contact tracing for COVID-19 cases since the first reports in the state. Everyone can be part of the solution by answering the call when the COVID-19 Community Team reaches out for contact tracing. The COVID-19 Community Team will send a text message or email or will call to let them know. In addition to local health department resources, the COVID-19 Community Team uses software called the COVID-19 Community Team Outreach Tool in their contact tracing efforts. Emails will come from the email address NC-ARIAS-NoReply@dhhs.nc.gov. How does contact tracing work if I came in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19? We can do our part to help ease measures while protecting ourselves, our loved ones, and neighbors by practicing the 3 Ws (wear, wait, wash) increasing testing and contact tracing, and tracking trends and key metrics. Request that you call your local health department at your earliest convenience and will tell you the local health department phone number. North Carolina is responding to the pandemic on multiples fronts, including building the state’s testing and contact tracing infrastructure, while surging assets in communities and populations that have been hardest hit by COVID-19. The Community Team reaches out to people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who have been near someone with COVID-19 and connects them with needed supports. This information is confidential and will remain private. MODULE 1 Orientation to Public Health in North Carolina. These statewide contact tracers are the COVID-19 Community Team, which is made up of trained local health department staff and Community Team members who are serving as contact tracers across the state. Do I have to respond if someone from the COVID-19 Community Team contacts me? During this time of … South Carolinians are asking what they can to do stop the spread of COVID-19. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) selected 13 businesses to join its pool of qualified vendors to support the state’s response to COVID-19, bringing the total number of vendors to 39. This tool helps the Community Team identify and reach out to people that may have come in contact with a person who has COVID-19. The job qualifications for contact tracing positions differ throughout the country and the world, with some new positions open to individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent. NCDHHS is evaluating the need on a regular basis and is working with the Carolina Community Tracing Collaborative and local health departments to send trained contact tracing staff to areas where they are needed most. NC Department of Health and Human Services Customer Service Center: 1-800-662-7030 This is why a wearing cloth face covering, while a very important step everyone should take when leaving their home, is only one component of the 3Ws of prevention: Wear. The selected vendors are pre-qualified to work with the department. They will not share Mia’s name or personal information. Mia’s Experience: COVID-19 Testing Follow this scenario where Mia gets tested for COVID-19. We would like to speak with you to provide further information and share guidance.”. Then, the Community Team will help identify others who were in contact with that person and reach out to them to make sure they know -- and that the Community Team is here to help them. How will I know if I’m receiving a legitimate call, text, or email and not spam? Currently, DHEC has more than 740 individuals trained to perform case investigations across the state, supplemented by 230 active contact monitors. 2001 Mail Service Center It’s possible for someone to have COVID-19 and not have any symptoms. The COVID-19 Community Team Outreach Tool will help Team members reach out to anyone that person has been in close contact with. COVID-19 coronavirus resources, including information about restrictions, reopening schools, unemployment and how to get help from North Carolina state government. “Contact tracing only works if people pick up the phone, return the text and get back to that person,” North Carolina state epidemiologist Zack Moore said in an interview with The News & Observer. Each of these steps slows the spread of COVID-19. North Carolina Division of Public Health Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Contact Tracing Instructions for Non-healthcare Settings Contact tracing is the systematic identification and monitoring of all persons who might have been exposed to a person diagnosed with COVID-19. A George Washington University researchers’ tool estimates North Carolina needs 27,000 contact tracers to effectively trace COVID-19 cases. CCNC is hiring a Statewide Contact Tracing Team to contact North Carolinians who have been exposed to COVID-19, explain how they can keep themselves and others safe, and connect them to necessary healthcare resources. Local health departments have been using contact tracing for COVID-19 since the first cases were identified in North Carolina. Contact tracing is a way to reach out to people who have been near someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. How many contact tracers are currently working in North Carolina? All other entities managing a Contact Tracing workforce such as the LHDs should also have supervisory staff to guide the tracers. Health department staff members investigated 5,514 (77%) persons with COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County and 584 (99%) in Randolph Counties. The Community Team then shares information and support to protect them and their loved ones and to help slow the spread of COVID-19. With your help, we will slow the spread of COVID-19 so we can once again safely come together with friends and family. There are more than 2,000 full-time and part-time staff supporting contact tracing efforts at the LHD level, including the 1,560 Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) contact tracers. Through contact tracing, people who have recently come in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 will get a text message, email notification, or phone call, along with information and support to help minimize the risk of spreading the virus further. RALEIGH -- As the COVID-19 caseload continues to grow in North Carolina, the state lacks the contact tracing resources to track the virus' spread, according to a George Washington University analysis. 2001 Mail Service Center If everything is private, how did you get my name and know that I may have been exposed? As the contact tracing program expands, NCDHHS is working with local health department employees, Carolina Community Tracing Collaborative (through Community Care of North Carolina), hospitals, and other community partners. You will know it is a member of the Community Team calling because they will always do the following when leaving a voicemail: Additionally, if you are ever in doubt about how to contact your local health department, please use this website for local health department contact information. Community organizations are key partners in supporting North Carolina’s contact tracing efforts by publicizing and supporting contact tracing. No. The COVID-19 crisis has created an unprecedented need for contact tracing across the country, requiring thousands of people to learn key skills quickly. NCDHHS encourages people to call the test site before they go to learn about testing criteria, availability, hours, and location. Yes, if a member of the COVID-19 Community Team calls and can’t get you on the phone, they will leave a voicemail. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. If the Team reaches out with a phone call, either NC OUTREACH or the local health department number will appear on their phone. someone has been in close contact (within 6 feet, for at least 15 minutes) with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. If a person has come in contact with someone with COVID-19:   On August 12, 2020, North Carolina announced a major correction in its Total PCR tests (specimens), resulting in a decrease of more than 220,000 reported tests. Last week, the Community Team met its initial goal to hire and train 250 additional contact tracers who collectively are reflective of the racial, ethnic and linguistic diversity of North Carolina. They let her co-workers know they may have been exposed to COVID-19 and offer support. By letting people know when they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and identifying the other people they may have been near, local health departments and the COVID-19 Community Team can connect everyone with free support and tools to monitor symptoms and slow the spread of the virus. Please get tested. COVID-19 Contact Tracing. Personal information will not be shared with other government agencies, and the names of individuals and contacts will not be released or shared. What if I don’t have access to email or a cellphone? The Community Team will then reach out to those people (those who may have been in contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19) to provide information and support. These efforts will help ensure that North Carolina continues responsibly easing current restrictions, while protecting ourselves and our loved ones. All other entities managing a Contact Tracing workforce such as the LHDs should also have supervisory staff to guide the tracers. This sample scenario, available English and Spanish., takes you through the steps of contact tracing when someone has a positive test for COVID-19. Yes. Together, we can protect our loved ones and limit the impact of COVID-19 on our community. As the contact tracing program expands, NCDHHS is working with local health department employees, Carolina Community Tracing Collaborative (through Community Care of North Carolina), hospitals, and other community partners. NC Department of Health and Human Services How do I know if I’ve been near someone who has tested positive for COVID-19? If the Team reaches out with a phone call, either NC OUTREACH or the local health department number will appear on their phone. Contact tracing is a proven, effective way to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Click here to apply If you are asked for this information, please hang up and call your local health department to report the incident. These scenarios are not based on real people or events. If a person has tested positive for COVID-19:   Staying at home and avoiding contact with other members of the household can help minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 and protect loved ones and neighbors. Member tests positive after having flu like symptoms Rebecca Dyok, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter; Dec. 24, 2020 12:05 p.m. Local News; News For COVID-19 questions call 2-1-1, North Carolina's Strategy to Combat COVID-19. This information is confidential and will remain private. If someone cannot be reached by email, text or phone, the Community Team will follow up with in-person visits, using Personal Protective Equipment, such as face masks and gloves, to ensure it is a safe interaction. They will also ask about people they may have recently been near. A member of the COVID-19 Community Teamcalls Mia from her Local Health Department. Customer Service Center: 1-800-662-7030 NCDHHS is working with local health departments and increasing the number of contact tracers to slow the spread of COVID-19. A George Washington University researchers’ tool estimates North Carolina needs 27,000 contact tracers to effectively trace COVID-19 cases. North Carolina contact tracing is being conducted by experienced and trained local health department staff and other COVID-19 Community Team members. Say “We are contacting you about an urgent public health matter. North Carolina … CHAPEL HILL, NC – The University of North Carolina System has announced that it is helping promote the statewide rollout of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) contact tracing application, built on Apple and Google technology. Throughout this process, all information and names are confidential and remain private. Between June and July 2020, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Mecklenburg (n=7,116) and Randolph Counties (n=589) in North Carolina, USA were asked to report close contacts. The COVID-19 Community Team will call or send a text or email to people who have come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Any information shared with the COVID-19 Community Team is a private health record and is strictly confidential. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — New data from North Carolina health officials is shedding light on what types of places are seeing the most community spread of COVID … Time Commitment: 1 hour Other entities will need to plan this supervisory role into their managing structure. Wait. Are there particular areas of the state where there are more contact tracers working than other areas? What information is collected through the COVID-19 Community Team Outreach Tool? local health department contact information. Mia tested positive. Does North Carolina have sufficient capacity to conduct contact tracing? Any information shared during the call is a private health record and is strictly confidential. The Community Team will ask the person who tested positive about anyone else they have recently been near or in close contact with. For an up-to-date number of contact tracers, visit the NC COVID-19 Dashboard: covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/contact-tracing. 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