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Contact tracing in Door County strained by COVID-19 spread

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Posted at 11:29 AM, Sep 29, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-29 12:29:39-04

DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) -- The spread of COVID-19 is impacting Door County Public Health's ability to conduct contact tracing.

"The number of new cases continues to accelerate upwards and is exceeding the ability of testing and case investigation to control the spread of illness," Door County Public Health says in a statement. "Contact tracing capacity is significantly strained."

The statement, issued Monday, says the department is now days behind its goal of reaching out to all confirmed cases within 24 hours of being reported to the health department.

At this time, the health department says it will no longer be calling those people who are close contacts of a positive case. The department is now asking those who test positive for COVID-19 to notify their close contacts, as well as their employer.

"Currently, test results are taking up to 5-7 days. To keep our community safe, we ask you to remain isolated while awaiting your test results," Door County Public Health says.

The health department says the guidelines known to be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 remain unchanged: stay home, wear a face covering and keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.