Florida maintains its contact tracing program is adequate, other states expand efforts

Florida maintains its contact tracing program is adequate, other states expand efforts

1,500 people now working to trace contacts in Fla.

Items.[0].image.alt Posted at 3:39 PM, Jun 09, 2020 and last updated 3:39 PM, Jun 09, 2020 FLORIDA — During a press conference on May 6 in Miami, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees described the state’s contact tracing efforts.

“This is a way we’re going to actually stop the cycle and transmission from person to person,” he said.

Today, as the number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise, Florida Department of Health (FDOH) spokesperson Alberto Moscoso described the state’s contact tracing program as a “vital component of any epidemiological investigation” Moscoso went on to state in an email that the department now employs “more than 1,500 individuals including students, epidemiologists and other staff,” who are working to trace every case of COVID-19 in Florida.

One month ago the number was 1,100.

RELATED: Florida is contact tracing COVID-19 but sharing few details about it Recent Stories from abcactionnews.com National experts advise the state should have 30 contact tracers for every 100,000 people.

Under that equation, Florida would be 5,000 contact tracers short.

CONTACT 5 INVESTIGATORS ARETAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT HOWTHE STATE'S 'CONTACT TRACING'PROGRAM IS WORKING.KATIE LAGRONE SHOWS US----THATWHILE FLORIDA HEALTH LEADERSTOUT THEIR COMMITMENT TOTRACING THE DISEASE&DETAILSREMAIN SCARCE.<< DR. RIVKEES- 27:17- THIS ISA WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TOACTUALLY STOP THE CYCLE OFTRANSMISSION FROM PERSON TOPERSON.

THAT'S WHAT FLORIDA'STOP DOCTOR SAID A MONTH AGOABOUT CONTACT TRACING IN THESUNSHINE STATE& TODAY ASPOKESPERSON FROM THE STATEHEALTH DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TODESCRIBE THE AGE OLD PRACTICEAS "A VITAL COMPONENT OF ANYEPIDEMIOLOGICALINVESTIGATION." WITH THE STATENOW EMPLOYING "MORE THAN 1500INDIVIDUALS INCLUDINGSTUDENTS, EPIDEMIOLOGISTS ANDOTHER STAFF" &"TRACING EVERYPOSITIVE CASE OF COVID-19 INFLORIDA." DR. RIVKEES- 27:25-WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FROM THEVERY BEGINNING AND ARECONTINUING TO EXPAND.

BUTACROSS THE COUNTRY&WE FOUNDWHEN IT COMES TO TRACING THEDISEASE FROM PERSON TOPERSON&SOME STATES AREEXPANDING THEIR EFFORTS.MASSACHUSETTS HAS ROUGHLY 50THOUSAND MORE CASES THAN US&BUT A SMALLER POPULATION YETDOUBLE THE NUMBER OF TRACERS&IN CALIFORNIA WITH MORE THAN130- THOUSANDS COVID CASESREPORTED&TWICE FLORIDA'SCOUNTTHE STATE IS WORKINGTOWARDS RECRUITING 20,000CONTACT TRACERS.

DESPITE MOSTOF OUR STATE REOPENING TOPHASE TWO&AND WEEKS OF LARGEGATHERINGS AND PROTESTSPROMPTING CONCERNS ABOUTANOTHER COVID SURGE& FLORIDAMAINTAINS IT'S "SUCCESSFULLYMEETING THE CURRENTOPERATIONAL DEMAND" BUTREMAINS QUIET ABOUT THEDETAILS.

ILENE-5:39- ARE THEYDOING IT?

IS THERE A PROGRAM?WHILE THOSE..LOOKING TO JOININ& RUTH-1:33- I WAS NOT ABLETO GET THROUGH TO ANYBODY AREALSO HITTING A WALL OFSECRECY.

RUTH-1:04- I HIT AWALL.

RUTH FADER RECENTLYGRADUATED FROM JOHN HOPKINS'ONLINE CONTACT TRACING COURSEBUT SHE HAS YET TO GET ANSWERSON HOW TO APPLY FOR A POSITIONHERE& RUTH- 1:21- CAME UP ZEROON THAT, I CALLED DIFFERENTREPRESENTATIVES ILENE RAND ISABOUT FIVE HOURS INTO THEONLINE COURSE&AND NOWHERE WITHHER CONTACT TRACING JOB SEARCHOTHER THAN A FEW STAFFINGAGENCIES OFFERING LITTLEINSIGHT.

ILENE- 3:24- THEY ALLPRETTY MUCH SAID THE SAMETHING- THERE'S NO PROGRAM INPLACE CURRENTLY BUT THEY WEREESTABLISHING A LIST CONTRACEDOT ORG- WHICH HELPS LOCAL ANDSTATE HEALTH DEPARTMENTSRECRUIT CONTACT TRACERS TOLDUS IN THIS EMAIL- "AT THEMOMENT WE'RE NOT EXACTLY SUREWHAT IS HAPPENING WITH CONTACTTRACING IN FL - THERE ISLITTLE TRANSPARENCY TO THESTATE PROGRAM." A STATEPROGRAM&THAT CLAIMS IT'S"PREPARED TO FURTHER EXPAND IFNECESSARY..." AND A FEW PEOPLEWE MET READY TO EXPAND WITHIT.

RUTH-6:25- READY, WILLINGAND ABLE TAG- WHILE THE STATEMAINTAINS 1500 CONTRACTTRACERS IS ENOUGH TOADEQUATELY MEETDEMAND&NATIONAL EXPERTS SAYBASED ON THE STATE'SPOPULATION FLORIDA IS ABOUT5000 CONTACT TRACERS SHORT.

KLWPTV NC 5.