Department of Health Services Increases Contact Tracing Capabilities
Today the Department of Health Services (DHS) announced new tracing mechanisms for local health departments to better track Wisconsin residents who may have been exposed to COVID-19 during Tuesday’s election.
Over the course of the last few weeks DHS has added more than 120 contact tracers to aid local public health departments who need additional capacity to interview every person confirmed with COVID-19 about anyone they had been in contact with and notify those people. Contact tracing staff have worked to follow up on more than 1,000 interviews to identify and notify contacts for Milwaukee Health Department alone. Additionally, Governor Evers has requested $17 million in new funds for local public health agencies, and 64 additional staff at DHS in his proposed legislative package, to adequately respond to the public health needs in Wisconsin. These proposed contact tracing assets will be critical to Wisconsin’s ability to actively manage this pandemic until effective medical treatment or a vaccine is available.
Despite efforts to protect the public by moving to postpone in-person voting on April 7, the Supreme Court ruled against that request and the elections were held on Tuesday. The Wisconsin Elections Commission provided municipal and county clerks with personal protective equipment and guidance that was developed in consultation with public health staff to prepare polling places, poll workers, and voters for Election Day to ensure that if the elections were held people could cast their vote in the safest manner possible. However, even with the safeguards polling places and workers put in place, there is some risk that people were exposed to COVID-19 while waiting to vote, casting their vote, or working the polls.
DHS and local public health officials are monitoring this situation and expect to see any cases from exposure on April 7 begin to appear next week. People who are positive for COVID-19 are interviewed by local public health officials about exposures, which includes possible exposures at the polls. This information will allow our surveillance epidemiologists the opportunity to identify if the election had any impact on the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin; however, DHS will not have a full picture of the impact for several weeks as it does take some time for people to develop symptoms, (and symptoms may develop sooner or later for different people), talk to a health care provider about testing, get tested, get the results, and be interviewed by a local public health contact tracer.
More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Statement from the Milwaukee Health Department - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Mar 2nd, 2021
- Marquette Plans In-Person Classes in Fall - Graham Kilmer - Mar 2nd, 2021
- WI Daily: 308 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Mar 1st, 2021
- Wisconsin Anticipates First Shipment of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Mar 1st, 2021
- Marquette University announces in-person plans for fall 2021 semester - Marquette University - Mar 1st, 2021
- Dane County Drops Most Fines Against Dance Studio - Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty - Mar 1st, 2021
- Back in the News: Uline Workers Suffer Higher COVID-19 Rates - Bruce Murphy - Mar 1st, 2021
- Groups Now Eligible for the COVID-19 Vaccine - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Mar 1st, 2021
- WI Daily: 464 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Feb 28th, 2021
- WI Daily: 689 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Feb 27th, 2021
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Wisconsin Anticipates First Shipment of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
Mar 1st, 2021 by Wisconsin Department of Health ServicesThird FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective
DHS Announces Groups Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine on March 1
Feb 25th, 2021 by Wisconsin Department of Health ServicesPeople 65+, teachers, and child care workers will be prioritized