State Approaches to Contact Tracing during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In August the state reported that local health departments work to triage and prioritize case investigations and the state health department works with them if assistance is needed.

Local health department are managing roughly 40% of the contact tracing.

In New York City, the city’s public hospital system will lead tracing work.

The University of South Dakota’s Community Action Response Epidemiology (CARE) team partnered with the state to provide contact tracing and health promotion for the university and for the state’s tribal communities.

The state recommends that anyone who tests positive notify their contacts as soon as possible.

The state is tracking breakthrough infections by checking positive cases against the state’s vaccine database and asking vaccine status during contact tracing interviews.

Contact tracers are prioritizing contacts in high-risk settings such as schools, churches, and prisons.

As of August 2021, the Laurel County Health Department is only conducting case investigations for people who test positive and is not reaching out to close contacts. They recommend positive cases notify their contacts themselves.

Also in August 2021, the state’s contract with Partners in Health to run the CTC was extended again through December 2021.

In August 2021, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department  was conducting contact tracing only in cases involving children under age 12. If the department is able, it will direct investigators to address cases in workplaces or other facilities that become hot spots.

In August 2021 the health department announced schools will begin the school year conducting internal contact tracing in partnership with the health department. When there is reduction in case numbers, the schools may choose to have the health

department conduct all contact tracing.

Contact tracers refer people to Alabama Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, which supports and helps people who are self-isolating.

As of August 2021, the state is not conducting widespread contact tracing, but is conducting contact tracing for outbreaks in some congregate living or school settings.

The state recommends that anyone who tests positive notify their contacts as soon as possible.

The state recommends that schools notify close contacts of an infected person. Schools are required to report both suspected and diagnosed cases of COVID-19 to local health officials.

Contact tracers provide instruction, education, and support to ensure close contacts do not infect others if they become ill themselves.

The state recommends contact tracers work with employers if a person with COVID-19 attended work while infectious but cannot remember who they came into close contact with.

In March 2021, Anchorage began requiring establishments that serve the public to keep customer or client contact information for at least 30 days in case it is needed for contact tracing. Businesses are required to communicate to employees and the health department any known COVID-19 exposures.

As of February 2021, the state health department recommends that people who test positive notify anyone they may have had contact with while infectious.

As of August 2021, the Juneau Health Department is asking that positive cases who have not received a call to call the health department directly. They also recommend that positive cases notify their own contacts to begin quarantining.

A close contact is defined as someone who has been within six feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes of more over a 24-hour period starting two days before illness onset, or test date for asymptomatic cases.

The state uses an automated monitoring and reporting system called Qualtrics to allow contacts of positive cases to report symptoms over a period of 14 days by text or email.

The state recommends congregate settings maintain visitor logs and cohort residents to aid contact tracing efforts.

In Maricopa County, older adults  who test positive and anyone living in a communal setting receive a phone call from a contact tracer, and new cases among younger, lower-risk people are contacted via text message.

Among the White Mountain Apache tribe in Arizona, contact tracing includes home visits where all members of the household are tested for COVID-19.

As of March 2021, the Pima County health department recommends that schools, businesses, and government entities ask employees or students to alert their organization if they test positive for COVID-19 and were in the facility within 48 hours of symptom onset or the date they were tested. Reporting school and business related COVID-19 cases to the county is mandatory. The county is also attempting in-person contact tracing if it cannot reach cases by phone, text, or email.

Migrant farm workers in Arizona are not required to be tested, but produce companies who employ the farmers have partnered with non-profit health organizations to provide testing and contact tracing for their workers.

The state says that schools cannot require unvaccinated students to be quarantined even if they have had contact with a confirmed positive case.

Contact tracers provide information to help people safely quarantine, find alternate arrangements as necessary, and help them get tested, if recommended. They also connect people with services available through the Department of Health, such as food delivery or alternate housing.

The Department of Education released guidelines for schools stating that probable close contacts and close contacts confirmed by ADH contact tracers must self-quarantine before returning to school.

Due to the Delta variant surge, contractors have been authorized to increase their contact tracing workforce. A. The Arkansas Department of Health is also following CDC guidelines when contact tracing capacity is limited; they are prioritizing positive cases and those diagnosed within six days of specimen collection or symptom onset.

Contact tracers refer people to their local public health departments for more information about available resources, such as testing, medical care, housing, or other resources.

Per legislation approved in March 2021, schools are required to report COVID-19 cases to their local public health department, which will conduct contact tracing. Schools should have a COVID-19 liaison to assist the local public health agency with contact tracing.

Contact tracers tell people how to get tested, how to quarantine, and link them to a COVID-19 navigator for support services access such as food, lodging, and financial help.

The state recommends that schools and child care facilities report positive cases to their local public health agency, even if testing was performed elsewhere. If testing is performed in schools, then schools are obligated to report cases to their local public health agency. Once a school has an outbreak, school leadership should work with their local public health agency to determine additional mitigation strategies, including masking indoors, distancing, testing, and contact tracing

In August 2021, Colorado’s District 49 reported it will not report positive cases or cooperate with requests for contact tracing.

This summer, several counties have seen a surge in positive cases due to tourism. Summit, La Plata, and Archuleta counties report having conducted case investigations and contact tracing for their visitors.

The state uses a software system called ContaCT for monitoring test results and positive cases. ContaCT will identify and refer people who need support at initiation and throughout self-isolation or self-quarantine. Case workers will support people in self-isolation or self-quarantine by connecting them with state, local, and regional resources as necessary, such as food and housing.

Contact tracers conduct in-person visits for those who did not provide phone numbers at the testing laboratories or did not respond to the call. If a surge in infections exceeds the capacity of localities to make notifications, the software has the capability to alert new cases and close contacts through text and email-based questionnaires.

The state uses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations and definitions for contact tracing and identifying cases. County health departments or the Connecticut COVID Tracing Systems typically contact patients who test positive within 24 hours of their result, but patients are encouraged to reach out on their own if they do not hear back within that time frame.

In September 2020, the state established a rapid response team to address outbreaks and implement best practices in nursing homes and assisted living facilities as needed.

In August 2021, the state asked health districts, when doing contact tracing, to focus more on whether people are vaccinated, whether they received both doses, and what kind of vaccine they received. They ask these questions because contact tracers’ guidance for isolation and quarantine are different depending on people’s vaccination status.

In August  2021, the state announced it will offer COVID-19 testing to elementary schools for unvaccinated, asymptomatic elementary school students and staff. Schools participating in the program will be paired with a testing partner and are responsible for communicating with local health officials to conduct contact tracing in the event of a positive case.

The contact tracing mailer outlines how a positive case should talk to their close contacts, but no other resource sharing is specified.

Since August 2020, contact tracing includes home visits for individuals who did not complete contact tracing interviews or could not be reached by contact tracers.

As of June 2021, DC’s Alcohol Beverage Control Board voted to end the measure requiring the city’s bars and restaurants to collect contact-tracing information of guests.

DC Health recommends contact tracing should be carried out by school staff to identify and dismiss potential close contacts until DC Health is able to complete the case investigation.

Positive cases or confirmed contacts who need extra support to self-quarantine (e.g., grocery delivery or alternative housing) are referred to a network of local community health workers coordinated by Healthy Communities Delaware.

The state requires that contact tracers call grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, and other businesses to inform them if someone who tested positive recently visited the establishment.

If a positive case or a symptomatic contact of a positive case is identified in a school setting, a case investigator will work with the school to conduct contact tracing. The case investigator will notify schools to ensure that positive cases and contacts do not return to school until after their isolation or quarantine period is over.

Anyone within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes, starting two days before they became sick, is considered a contact. Contact tracers assess people’s needs and connect them with a care resources coordinator to get them support to help with quarantining.

As of January 2021, local health departments stopped contact tracing to focus on the vaccine rollout.  Contact tracing is now being done at the district level.

The state created a Health Liaison position at the Department of Education to work with the Department of Public Health (DPH) on school health issues. This role will include ensuring efficient and expedited testing, contact tracing, data collection, reporting, and supports for COVID-19 in school settings. The state recommends cohorting in schools to limit the number of children, teachers, and staff who come in contact with each other and to assist in contact tracing. Childcare programs are also strongly recommended to collaborate with the local health district and DPH on contact tracing efforts for children, teachers, and staff.

As of August 2021, contact tracers are prioritizing contacts in high-risk settings such as schools and churches.

Contact tracers connect people to a case investigator or support services as needed, such as getting them food, medications, and services. Contact tracers make calls in English and Spanish.

The state has guidance for several settings, including workplaces, schools, places of worship, and long-term care facilities with specific contact tracing steps if an individual tests positive or has been in close contact with a confirmed case.

In March 2021, the state health department and Illinois State Board of Education updated guidelines to require all schools in the state to conduct contact tracing.

As of April 2021, contact tracers in Cook County were also using phone conversations as an opportunity to talk with residents about the COVID-19 vaccine.

State contact tracers are advising individuals infected with COVID-19 to separately reach out to their close contacts and direct them to the resources on the coronavirus.in.gov website, based on an assumption that people would be more inclined to respond to a known telephone number or text message from a friend.  In December 2020, the state-level contact tracers changed to a shorter script notifying residents about a positive COVID-19 test result and directing them to quarantine guidelines and assistance programs.

Cases who report  living or working in a congregate setting, are flagged to the local health department, which then investigates to determine whether there is an outbreak at the facility.

In August 2020, the state launched a COVID-19 hotline for schools, to  provide information and contact tracing toolkits. In June 2021, the state announced the Board of Education will fully adopt the CDC guidelines on school reopening, including contact tracing guidelines. The state regularly updates COVID-19 decision trees for K-12 schools, which include guidance on contact tracing.

Contact tracers offer to set up services, such as grocery deliveries, and share advice on how to safely social distance or quarantine.

As of February 2021, the Department of Public Health conducts contact tracing for more than two-thirds of the state’s counties. The state will not contact schools or employers about positive cases, though localities may continue this work.

As of August 2021, the state is no longer conducting contact tracing for every COVID-19 case. Instead, contact tracing and case investigation focuses on outbreaks and vulnerable populations, like the influenza model.

Tracers are encouraged to make contact at least two days per week for 14 days since last exposure. Contact tracers will refer people to agencies if they need additional assistance.

The state Department of Health and Environment advises prisons to do initial and periodic screening of inmates and to screen staff and visitors and requests all cases be reported immediately to the Health and Environment’s Epidemiology Hotline, which is monitored 24/7.

The state requires schools to contact their local health department immediately after confirming a COVID-19 case. School staff should compile a list of close contacts and can notify parents and students they will be contact by the local health department.

The state recommends contact tracers notify any restaurant or retail business if someone diagnosed with COVID-19 reports they visited that restaurant or retail business in the 14 days since being diagnosed and to provide additional guidance and next steps.

In March 2021, the state announced that it will not require child care facilities to shut down in the event of a possible exposure, as long as contact tracing is conducted.

In July 2021, the state released K-12 school reopening guidelines, which encouraged schools to assist health departments with contact tracing.

Local health departments in the state report being are understaffed and overwhelmed by the summer 2021 surge in cases.

As of August 2021, the Laurel County Health Department is only conducting case investigations for people who test positive and is not reaching out to close contacts. They recommend positive cases reach notify their contacts themselves.

The Louisiana Department of Health’s Contact Tracing program is using SMS text messaging to provide COVID-19-positive individuals, their contacts, and travelers to Louisiana with public health guidance and social services support while quarantined. The contact tracers also collect personal information from individuals through SMS text messaging about their COVID-19 symptoms, health, isolation, and quarantine plans.

The Louisiana Department of Health released new guidelines for Louisiana schools, pertaining to  contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine. Individuals in close contact of an infected student may be contacted as part of the Office of Public Health contact tracing process.

The state asks businesses that reopen to maintain contact information for clients and customers and the staff in case a customer or client tests positive for the virus.

As of April 2021, vaccinated students who are contact traced in the University of Maine system will be exempt from quarantine requirements.

As of July 2021, the state will only conduct contact tracing Monday through Friday. Due to the rise in positive cases this summer, contact tracers also ask those who test positive whether they have been to indoor spaces with lots of people, including church or gatherings.

Anyone within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 10 minutes beginning two calendar days before symptom onset is considered a contact.

Local boards and the Community Tracing Collaborative help arrange for medical and quarantine support for positive cases. Contacts receive testing and quarantine support (through care resource coordinators) for themselves and their households, if applicable, and general information as needed.

Contact tracers investigating COVID-19 cases are responsible for indicating when people who test positive can return to work. Local boards of health, with assistance from epidemiologists, conduct extensive investigations and contact tracing if clusters of cases emerge in long-term care facilities and nursing homes.

The state asks restaurants or bars to ask patrons for their name and phone number, but does not require the patron to comply. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released new guidelines for Michigan schools for the upcoming school year, including implementing contact tracing and quarantine, and collaborating with the local health department.

Due to increased infections, as of April 2021, Jackson County contact tracers  will only conduct case investigations and contact tracing in nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and other large, high-risk venues.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has updated its recommendations for schools, recommending that they use contact tracing in combination with quarantine, and collaborating with the local health department.

In February 2021, the state updated guidelines for middle and high schools, requiring daily documentation of student mealtime seating to support contact tracing in the event of an exposure.

In September 2020, the state released contact tracing guidelines for employers. In August 2020, the state released contact tracing guidelines for shelters and drop-in centers.

The state recommends that schools continue contact tracing to identify exposed for quarantine and exclusion from the school setting.

The state recommends individuals keep track of their contacts to assist in the contact tracing process using a downloadable contact tracing worksheet.

The state requires local public health agencies to prioritize notifying schools of positive cases among students so the school can assist in contact tracing. The state is offering a pooled screening program to schools during the 2021-2022 school year. To participate, schools must have a point of contact to coordinate with local health departments for contact tracing.

Contact tracing in Missouri counties is delayed as of June 2021 as Missouri experiences a spike in Delta variant cases. Because of the state’s surge in cases, a federal surge team began working with the state in July 2021 to help with testing and contact tracing, among other recovery supports.

In August 2021, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department was conducting contact tracing only in cases involving children under age 12. If the department is able, it will direct investigators to address cases in workplaces or other facilities that become hot spots.

Anyone within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes in the two days before onset of symptoms is considered a contact. In some counties, case managers can deliver food, medications, and other essentials to help people safely quarantine. Earlier in the pandemic, the state performed enhanced surveillance testing in tribal communities.

In January 2021, the state legislature contracted with Lewis and Clack counties to provide a contact tracer solely dedicated to case investigation among members of the legislature.

Anyone within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 10 minutes is considered a contact.  Contact tracers hand off cases that involve exposure in a congregate setting for a higher-level investigation given the high risk.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services recommends  contact tracers send a thermometer to people who have tested positive and their close contacts, inquire about wraparound services, link to clinical services, and provide advice and instructions on how to quarantine.

In April 2021, NEDHHS contracted with Creighton University to perform COVID-19 variant testing. Identified cases of COVID variants become a priority for contact tracing.

Norfolk Public Schools recently released a return to school plan with COVID-19 guidelines for the upcoming year. Contact tracing, isolation, and quarantines will be discontinued for NPS students and staff, individuals who are exposed or exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will be encouraged to stay home and get tested.

Anyone within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes is considered a contact.

In August 2021 the state health department issued guidance for schools, including weekly screening testing for unvaccinated students and staff, reporting positive cases to public health authorities, and notification of teachers, staff, and families of students

who were close contacts as soon as possible.

After scaling back during the November 2020 surge, New Hampshire resumed universal contact tracing for new cases in February 2021.

As of June 2021, the state is focusing on new COVID-19 variants, including the Delta variant. In June, the state announced it will conclude its community contact tracing program for exposures in public settings, such as restaurants and workplaces; other contact tracing efforts will continue. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends long-term care facility staff conduct enhanced surveillance in the event that a resident tests positive and coordinate with their Cluster investigation team in the event of an outbreak.

In August 2021, the state issued a toolkit for schools and childcare, instructing these groups to work with public helath for contact tracing, and differentiating between close household contacts and non-household close contacts.

Anyone within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes starting two days before symptoms emerged is considered a contact.

Contact tracers connect those who need help with additional support, including securing living situations for those who cannot safely quarantine at home.

In March 2021, the state issued updated guidance for contact tracing in schools.  The state recommends that schools work with local health departments to identify and exclude close contacts if a COVID-19 case is identified within a school.

As of July 2021, with the Delta variant surge in cases, contact tracers are attempting to contact all new cases. Between August 1-7, contact tracers  reached 77% of new cases.

New Jersey Department of Health updated their guidance in July 2021 noting that if someone is identified as a close contact, a fully vaccinated person does not need to quarantine as long as they are symptom-less.

In August 2021 the state released guidance for institutions of higher education, indicating that the institutions should work with local health departments for contact tracing.

As of June 2021, restaurants are still required to keep logs of customers for contact tracing purposes. Businesses also participated in surveillance testing and contact tracing with the Department of Health to avoid closures. Essential businesses could avoid mandatory closures if they regularly tested employees and helped with state contact tracing efforts.

In July 2021 the state issued a toolkit for schools, covering required surveillance testing and protocols to facilitate contact tracing such as cohorting.

When 70% of New Yorkers aged 18 or older received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination series in June 2021, collecting contact information for tracing purposes became optional for retail, food services, offices, gyms and fitness centers, amusement and family entertainment, hair salons, barber shops and personal care services.

As of June 2021 tracers now ask for vaccination status, and if an individual has been exposed but is fully vaccinated, they do not need to quarantine.

In August 2021 the state released guidance for schools based on national recommendations, including collaborating with local health authorities for contact tracing.

Anyone within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes is considered a contact. They do not identify the individual who tested positive, nor if that person was infected with a variant strain.

Contact tracers connect people with supports and offer information about how to keep their family safe while staying at home.

In February 2021 the state released contact tracing procedures for schools; these were updated in May 2021.

As of December 2020, contact tracing was reinstated, with tracers focusing on identifying clusters of COVID-19 cases.

In March 2021, the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced it would allow in-person visits to prisons. Visitor names will be provided to the Department of Health for any necessary contact tracing.

The state of emergency in North Dakota ended April 29 2021, but the North Dakota Department of Health announced they would continue key services including contact tracing.

In August the state updated its guidance for contact tracing in non-healthcare workplaces and released information for schools about a screening/testing program for the 2021-2022 school year. Schools are encouraged to continue to participate in contact tracing.

The Ohio Department of Health is updating its system to allow local health departments to enter information about where an infected person was in contact with people prior to their positive test.

The state is adopting a “backward” contact tracing approach, in an attempt to identify the source of each case instead of only identifying close contacts to prevent future spread.

In May 2021, the Mid-Ohio Valley Heath Department stepped up contact tracing efforts due a local outbreak at the Calhoun County public schools.

The state released guidance for schools in July 2021, including instructions for contact tracing. It also released updated guidance for quarantine after exposure to positive cases in school settings.

Contact tracers also text  close contacts of positive cases and individuals who have been potentially exposed. The text prompts the person to fill out a questionnaire and receive quarantine-related messages; they may also be contacted by phone.

In December 2020, the state was advising most individuals who test positive to notify their own close contacts.

In May 2021, the State Health Department started conducting contact tracing in Cleveland County for individuals who may have been exposed to the Delta variant, after 18 cases were detected.

Contact tracers are collecting vaccination status and Oklahoma Department of Health’s weekly COVID-19 report also reports on number of break-through cases.

In July 2021 the state released guidance for schools, including contact tracing among the 5 priority prevention strategies.

Contact tracers connect people with case managers who offer supports to make sure that people who must isolate or quarantine have access to needed services, such as food, shelter, mental health care, and more. The state also provides a resource packet that includes a thermometer.

The state recommends testing all asymptomatic employees and residents in group-living situations in which someone is suspected to have COVID-19. Long-term care, assisted living, and residential care facilities are expected to develop and implement plans for ongoing monitoring, including testing residents and staffs at least once a month.

As of April 2021, Multnomah County is prioritizing contact tracing for those most at risk of serious illness or of spreading the virus to a lot of other people.

As of April 2021, Marion County is only attempting to contact positive cases once via phone.  If they are unable to reach the positive case, the health department will send a letter with instructions about quarantining.

The state reopened at the end of June 2021, and with this re-opening, shifted public health responsibilities to counties and local health departments, with the state providing data and other contact tracing support, as well as monitoring the Delta variant and providing guidance.

In August 2021 the state released investigative guidelines, including recommending that contact tracers focus on vulnerable populations during surge periods. In non-surge periods local public health authorities should resume full contact tracing.

The states 2021-2022 guidance for schools advises schools keep logs for contact tracing.

Community health nurses provide information on isolation, asymptomatic transmission, and how to monitor symptoms. Contact tracers notify individuals who may have been exposed in congregate settings and   follow up with the respective facilities where the congregation took place. Contact tracers are also playing a large role in educating individuals.

The state has prioritized contact tracing to populations considered  most vulnerable and cases that could lead to greater community spread.

Since January 2021, contact tracing at long-term care facilities has been conducted by individual county health departments.

In August the state announced it will offer pooled testing for schools during the 2021-2022 school year.

The state uses a text-based contact tracing system enabling residents to fill out an online form, providing contact information for close contacts. The system will automatically text the list of people, informing them they must self-quarantine. The system is not designed to replace human contact tracers but to supplement the contact tracing work.

Rhode Island Department of Health launched an on-site Business Testing Program, providing businesses with rapid COVID-19 tests, with the employer agreeing to train the team, conduct the tests, and report the results to RIDOH.

The state released guidance for the 2021-2022 school year, including recommending schools maintain seating charts to facilitate contact tracing.

Contact tracers refer positive cases and contacts to supportive services, including medical and social services.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) recommends that any residents in residential treatment facilities for children and adolescents who were recently cared for by a staff member who tested positive be restricted to their rooms and monitored for symptoms. SCDHEC recommends that adult day care facilities keep logs of names and contact information for all staff, participants, visitors, and vendors in case the DHEC needs to contact them.

The South Carolina Department of Corrections (DEC) conducts contact tracing if an inmate or staff tests positive in a correctional facility. The DEC built an app to assist with tracking infections among prison staff.

The state released guidance for schools for the 2021-2022 school year, including recomending contact tracing as a critical strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The state department of education says funding has been made available for every school to have a full-time nurse who can help with contact tracing.

The South Dakota Secretary of Health re-emphasized in April 2021 that contact tracing remains a critical strategy as part of the state’s response to COVID-19.

The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) provides recommendations for long-term care facilities.

It is the local public health department’s responsibility to perform contact tracing in schools and universities. When a school is notified of a confirmed case, it should contact the local health department to provide contact information and other details about the case. The local health department then recommends ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the school. In its school contact tracing protocol, the health department notes that contact tracing in schools is most efficient and effective with the partnership of school staff.

In February 2021, Shelby County Health Department launched case notification via text messaging.  Staff text anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 with a link to an online case investigation/contact tracing questionnaire.

The state conducts initial contact tracing outreach via manual calls to positive cases, presumptive positive cases, and their contacts. Contact tracers help link people with supports, such as how to get food during self-isolation.

The state requires schools to notify their local health department and all teachers, staff, and students’ families if a positive case has been in a school. Schools must also submit an online form alerting the state of the cases, which will be posted publicly on the state website. Two of the state’s largest school districts, however, said they will only notify families of students who were close contacts because this policy is not a legally binding  requirement. The state released guidance for schools indicating that contact tracing is not required for schools in the 2021-2022 school year. Local health authorities have the authority to investigate cases.

In December 2020, the state began sending automated text messages and emails to positive cases and contacts of positive cases who do not answer an initial phone call from contact tracers. The text message or email includes a link to a secure form where the person can provide contact tracing information electronically.

If an employee tests positive, the state will follow up with the business to offer resources and help identify other employees who might have encountered the person who tested positive.

Each school will designate a point of contact to work with the health department on contact tracing. In preparation for return to school in fall 2021, the state health department said that vaccinated students would not have to quarantine if they were identified as close contacts, allowing them to stay in school. In the 2021-2022 school year, schools are required to do a Test to Stay event when schools with 1,500 or more students have 2% of their students test positive or schools with fewer than 1,500 students have 30 students test positive within the previous 14 days. Schools will work with local health departments to offer testing for all students.

Anyone within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes is considered a contact. The state also asks for contacts starting 14 days before someone began showing symptoms. As of December 2020, contacts may receive a text message prior to receiving a call.

The state relies on a rapid response team, made up of Health Department staff and state partners, to conduct contact tracing in long-term care and group living settings if a case of COVID-19 is found.

In August 2021 the health department announced schools will begin the school year conducting internal contact tracing in partnership with the health department. When there is reduction in case numbers, the schools may choose to have the health department conduct all contact tracing.

During outreach, contact tracers also attempt to enroll cases into the Sara Alert system.

This software is used to conduct symptom monitoring through text or email. The contact tracer will provide education, information, and support to help those who might have been exposed.

As of May 2021, individuals who have been fully vaccinated will not be required to quarantine.

In December 2020, the state adopted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance around contact tracing prioritization to help deal with a surge in cases. The state will prioritize recently diagnosed individuals and their household members, people living or working in congregate living facilities, people in known clusters or outbreaks, and people at increased risk of severe illness.

In January 2021, the state began notifying positive cases via a series of automated text messages. The texts include a link to the new COVIDWISE Verification Code Portal which allows those who have tested positive to submit their results to the COVIDWISE app for exposure notification.

The state recommends that non-healthcare congregate settings maintain a visitor log to assist with contact tracing.

If a school or child care facility is operating in person, the state requires school and child care personnel to participate in contact tracing investigations. In K–12 schools, contact tracing includes working with school staff to obtain class schedules, seating charts, and other information.

In August 2021 the health department developed nearly 200 new, setting-specific positions for case investigators and contact tracers that will work closely with schools, nursing homes, jails, and prisons. The health and education departments are working to launch a new testing program. Schools are expected to assist health officials in contact tracing efforts.

Anyone within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes is considered a contact.

The state’s 2021-2022 school guidance indicates that schools must ensure access to testing and recommends screening testing programs. Schools are expected to cooperate with health authorities for contact tracing.

Fall 2021 guidance for schools indicates that schools are expected to collaborate with local health departments for contact tracing and are encouraged to consider hiring someone (service employee, part-time, or contract with health department or other agency) to collaborate with the local health department and the central office to conduct school-level contact tracing. The state made funding

available through a grant to assist in hiring these positions. Quarantine requirements differ by vaccination and mask-wearing.

Anyone who had direct physical contact with the person, was within six feet of the person for more than 15 minutes, had contact with the person’s respiratory secretions, or stayed overnight for at least one night in a household with the person who tested positive for COVID-19 is considered a contact.

The state issued guidance for the 2021-2022 school year that indicates schools should cooperate with state and local health authorities for contact tracing. Districts are encouraged to work with their local health departments to develop contact tracing protocols. The state offers a K-12 testing program that schools may opt into.

Guidance to schools for the 2021-2022 school year indicates that the state health department can provide funding to support COVID-19 testing in schools, including for additional school staff to conduct testing, coordinate the testing program, and/or

manage the testing data generated as well as providing physical space to conduct testing or making

modifications or improvements to existing space to allow for safe testing.

In addition to health department staff, partners contributing staff include the Anchorage Health Department, school districts, nonprofits, tribal health organizations, a hospital, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Arctic Investigations Program,  the Alaska National Guard, the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Center for Rural Health and Workforce, and AM Trace, a public health firm.

A partnership with the University of Alaska Anchorage’s College of Health added training capacity, and new partnerships with community health centers and a workforce and technology company, Rose International, Inc. will expand the contact tracing workforce.

As of May 2021, the state is training state employees and working with university partners to use faculty, staff, and students to augment the tracing workforce. The state is also partnering with the federal CDC Foundation for recruiting and assigning new employees to staff up to 40 teams of public health investigators, which can be deployed statewide.

In July 2020, Pima County began contracting with a private company, Maximus Health Services, to hire at least 150 contact tracers. In April 2021, the county extended the contract to January 2022.

The state works with medical and public health schools and nonprofit organizations to recruit volunteers and 30 National Guard members are assisting with contact tracing.

Due to the Delta variant surge, as of August 2021 contractors have been authorized to increase their contact tracing workforce.

An audit conducted in April 2021 of the California Department of Public Health (DPH) revealed that while the department exceeded testing targets, statewide contact tracing efforts are lagging. The state auditor recommended that DPH update contact tracing protocols by May 2021.

The state maintains a contact tracing team to support local governments and partner organizations who hire and manage their own teams.

Local governments have retrained public workers and police in Denver. The state had hired AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members to support the state’s COVID-19 response, including contact tracing.

A volunteer group of public health professionals, the Colorado Public Health Workforce Collaborative, provides support to local public health agencies by coordinating statewide initiatives and rollout of a contact tracing workforce – including: recruiting and training that workforce, monitoring the rollout, and facilitating complementary containment activities.

As of June 2021, some of Connecticut’s contact tracers have been reassigned. The Commissioner of CT Department of Social Services also said that as the state moves towards more intentional testing, away from mass testing sites, contact tracing will become crucial to catch and stop outbreaks.

Across the state more than 100 college students from various schools join public health staff and volunteers to make up the state’s team of contact tracers. In August 2020, the state announced a partnership with the Community Emergency Response Teams to recruit volunteers.

School districts have also helped conduct contact tracing in and have closely partnered with their local health departments.

In May 2020, the state hired a third-party call center, Maximus, to bolster the state’s contact tracing workforce.

The National Guard  the University of Hawaii,  Medical Reserve Corps volunteers, and the Kaua’i Police Department have all assisted with contact tracing.

The state health department’s Pacific Islander priority investigations and outreach team prioritize contact tracing for marginalized groups.

As of April 2021,  300 contact tracers were reported in Cook County.

In September 2020, the state released grant applications for the COVID-19 Pandemic Health Navigator Program, to fund regional coordinators to provide contact tracing support to the Illinois Contact Tracing Collaborative.

Cook County launched the Suburban Cook County COVID-19 Contact Tracing Community Supports Program to focus on contact tracing for priority populations.

Chicago contact tracers include staff from local health departments, health care and community-based organizations, and schools. The partnership includes the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, NORC at the University of Chicago, Malcolm X College, and Sinai Urban Health Institute.

In March 2021, the state started providing mental health support to contact tracing staff through the state’s FEMA-funded Crisis Counseling Program.

In May 2020, the state shifted staffing for contact tracing  to a private company, Maximus. Public health students and epidemiologists at the state health department will assist the contact tracers, if needed.

Tracers take a three- to four-hour online training course provided by the American State and Territorial Health Officers.

Many of the state’s contact tracers are helping rural counties with small public health departments. Larger counties are handling much of the work themselves.

Local health departments are leading contact tracing. Many are retraining staff, but others are hiring new staff. The state monitors virus hot spots throughout the state and fills gaps at local health departments.

University of Louisville students, trained through the Johns Hopkins University online contact tracing course, are also involved with state and city contact tracing. A social support coordinator assists with any daily needs, such as groceries, a person may require help with while isolating.

The state health department is working with Deloitte on the statewide contract tracing effort. The state also partners with over 20 vendors to hire and train contact tracers.

Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases fueled by the Delta variant, the state is in the process of adding 130 new contact tracers.

The state contracted with Accenture and Salesforce to manage the contact tracing process and create an electronic contact tracing platform. The state uses four Louisiana-based call centers and two hiring agencies. The training for these contact tracers is managed by Louisiana State University.

As of March 2021, college athletic trainers also act as contact tracers for student athletes, coaches, and staff.

One local health department reassigned school nurses and disease prevention and behavioral health nurses. Another partnered with a community college to hire and train contact tracers.

Rock Connections manages volunteers and Deloitte manages technology for the tracing program.

Rose International is providing support and hiring staff on behalf of the Minnesota Department of Health.

At least one health system has assisted with contact tracing.

As of May 2021, the state reported having 500 contact tracers.

All contact tracers are trained in Missouri’s Advanced Contact Tracing System, a central system that manages tracing and investigations.

In August 2021, some counties began to hire back additional staff to keep up with contact tracing as cases increased.

The Montana Public Health Training Center and Montana Department of Public Health and Human Resources is offering a Montana Public Health Contact Tracing Certificate course tailored specifically to the state of Montana. Those that obtain a certificate are eligible to volunteer with the state for pay. As of January 2021, almost 300 people have completed the course.

The state selected PRC, a health care research company based in Omaha, to partner with for contact tracing. In August 2021 PRC began providing contact tracing for the state’s local health departments and school districts as well.

The state is also working with Nelnet and North End Teleservices to staff contact tracing positions.

The Southern Nevada Health District has a team of about 400 contact tracers, including University of Nevada-Las Vegas students.

The Washoe County Health District has taken over the contact tracing work from the state and has partnered with the University of Nevada – Reno to handle the new work.

Contact tracing has continued through the June/July 2021 surges, and the Washoe County Health Department is in the process of upping their contact tracing capabilities in preparation for a potential fall surge. The Southern Nevada Health District has the capacity to redirect health district members to help with contact tracing, though they have not done so yet.

The state developed a Community Contact Tracing Corps through a two-stage approach. In stage one, the state  partnered with the state’s higher education institutions to train public health graduate students and alumna. For stage two, the state contracted with Public Consulting Group (PCG) to recruit, train, and manage tracers  deployed to areas with increasing COVID-19 cases. Staff recruited by PCG are required to complete the contact tracing training developed with Rutgers School of Public Health.

Bloomberg Philanthropies helps the state health department recruit potential contact tracers for the program. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health developed an online curriculum. The nonprofit Vital Strategies provides technical and operational advising.

The state is part of the Carolina Community Tracing Collaborative, partnering with Community Care of North Carolina and the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers. These organizations work with the nonprofit Partners in Health to coordinate with and build on contact tracing workforce in the local health departments. The state recruits those who are unemployed, have community engagement experience, and live in the communities that they  serve.

In collaboration with Community Care of North Carolina, the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers Program created an onboarding training curriculum that local health departments can use to train volunteers and other staff as contact tracers or case investigators.

In June 2021, Bladen County in North Carolina experienced a surge in cases, and the state offered support for testing, contact tracing, and vaccination efforts.

Contact tracers also include some public health graduate students who are receiving course credit and volunteers of the Medical Reserve Corps. The nonprofit Lutheran Social Services is assisting with contact tracing efforts for people who speak English as a second language.

Contact tracers are  also helping set up vaccine appointments.

In June 2021, some local health departments contracted with Public Consulting Group to conduct contact tracing.

In December 2020, the state closed its centralized state contact tracting location in Oklahoma City, which employed 400 staff. A  state legislative report released in March 2021 on contact tracing found the contact tracing efforts in the state led to no insights, was marred by technology issues, and failed to collect proper data.

The state’s National Guard deployment to assist with COVID-19 response efforts, including contact tracing, came to an end on July 1, 2021.

As of May 2020, the state requires counties to have a minimum of 15 contact tracers per 100,000 people for them to enter Phase 1 of Reopening. In May 2021 the state clarified counties must have an ability to scale up to that requirement if needed.

The Oregon COVID-19 Contact Collaborative is a joint contact tracing effort with Oregon Health Authority, local health authorities, health districts, tribal authorities and community-based organizations (including advocacy and community health worker groups).

The state created the Commonwealth Civilian Coronavirus Corps, which bolsters  local and community contact tracing efforts.

Regional consortiums will assess the number of contact tracers needed in each area of the state, as well as recruit more staff and coordinate efforts accordingly.

Contact tracers are trained by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). Both are nonprofit organizations that have offered trainings at no charge during the pandemic. The South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC) helped to tailor these trainings for the state.

In June 2021, Piedmont Technical College (PTC) offered a contact tracing course that it developed in collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Those who complete the four-week course receive an ASTHO contact tracing certificate. PTC plans to offer one contact tracing course every month.

The University of South Dakota’s Community Action Response Epidemiology (CARE) team has partnered with the state to conduct contact tracing. The CARE team includes current health sciences undergraduate students, recent graduates, and School of Health Sciences faculty members.

Many of those are provided through an Xtend Healthcare contract. Other employees were brought on through Medasource to help with contact tracing and case investigation.

The Metro Public Health Department replaced 50 contact tracers with an automated messaging platform called Teletask to leverage the savings to add staff to the county’s COVID-19 vaccine roll-out.  In August 2021,  the Metro Health Department reported it began hiring additional contact tracing staff to address the surge in cases.

The state contracted with the MTX group, a private technology company, to build and manage a team  of contact tracers, with a goal of recruiting 4,000 tracers. The contract is set to expire on August 31, 2021. The state also works with university partners to replace and increase staff as needed.

Two counties are working with local universities to increase their staffing. One county is also working with Texas A&M University School of Public Health’s Department to develop a larger increase in their pool of epidemiologists. Another county is working with the University of North Texas to recruit 90 students as part-time contact tracers.

In August 2021 the Department of State Health Services reported it was winding down the contact-tracing program. The state’s new budget prohibits taxpayer dollars from being used for covid contact tracing. The state reported that it would still be doing case investigations but would no longer be providing contact tracing for local health departments.

In August UT Health Austin’s contact tracing department reported looking for more than 100 volunteer contact tracers, and to hire four additional people as full-time staff to address the surge in cases. UT Health Austin’s contact tracing department does contact tracing for UT Austin students, as well as working with Austin Public Health, which does contact tracing more broadly.

As of November 2020, the University of Utah had deployed 200 contact tracers to the state through a partnership agreement to train and field contact tracers.

The state also has three case managers who follow up with positive cases and contacts to link them to resources, such as grocery shopping.

The governor established the Vermont Enhanced Testing and Tracing Task Forces that include experts from the Department of Health and agencies affiliated with the Human Services and Digital Services, to monitor technological and workforce needs going forward.

In January, the state began accepting bids for a contract to provide up to 75 full-time contact tracers. The state would provide training to these staff and continue to lead the contact tracing effort. In April 2021, the contract was awarded to AM Trace.

To address the surge in cases caused by the Delta variant, health workers previously deployed for contact tracing are being called back and the company hired to outsource contact tracers is adding employees.

Multiple universities have taken on contact tracing for their respective campuses. The University of Virginia partnered with its local health district to fund seven new positions for contact tracing on campus, Virginia Commonwealth University has hired 13 contact tracers, and Virginia Tech has implemented a Case Management Team to assist with contact tracing and coordinating quarantining  and isolation on campus.

As of May 2021, the local health jurisdiction of King County reported having 54 contact tracers on staff.

The National Guard assists with contact tracing (along with other services, such as food delivery and personal protective equipment procurement and distribution). The state health department also partnered with West Virginia University to develop an online class to train contact tracers and certify them through the Association of State and Territorial Health officials.

The app was developed by the Birmingham-based tech company MotionMobs in collaboration with the state health department and the University of Alabama at Birmingham where it was piloted before being release statewide.

As of August 2021, 285,000 people have downloaded the app. The state has joined the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ National Key Server, which allows GuideSafe to download keys from other exposure notification apps on the server.

In August, the state launched the DiMagi/CommCare application to manage information for COVID-19 cases and contacts, coordinate work, and measure and improve contact tracing efforts.

Contact tracers record data for contacts of positive cases using a Qualtrics survey tool.

The state released Covid Watch Arizona, an anonymous exposure notification app, statewide in April 2021. The app is a joint project of the University of Arizona and WeHealth that uses Bluetooth technology developed by Apple and Google to log Bluetooth signals of other nearby users.

The state has joined the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ National Key Server, which allows COVID Watch Arizona to download keys from other exposure notification apps on the server. As of August 2021, the app has been downloaded 93,000 times.

The state partnered with Accenture to launch a system using Salesforce and Amazon Connect for case management.

The state launched CA Notify in December 2020. The app detects whether participants were near someone with COVID-19 via Bluetooth. As of June 2021, the state estimated more than 10 million people had downloaded the app.

The CA Notify app is part of the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ National Key Server, which allows it to download keys from other exposure notification apps that are on the server.

The state uses a mobile service application in partnership with Google and Apple called CO Exposure Notifications. The app uses Bluetooth to sense whether a user’s device has been within six feet of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or longer in a given period. As of June 2021, 2.1 million people had downloaded the app.

The state is a participant in the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ National Key Server. The state’s exposure notification app can download the keys or codes of any other state’s exposure notification app if they are both participating.

The state uses  Google and Apple’s exposure notification app, COVID Alert CT. The app uses Bluetooth to sense whether a user’s device has been within six feet of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more in one day. If a user tests positive, a contact tracer (working for a state, local health department, or higher education institution) will manually ask the case to share the “close contact” codes their app has logged while they had been contagious. If the user agrees, those who met the close contact criteria for the app will receive an alert notifying them that they were a close contact of an anonymous case. As of January 2021,  1 million people have downloaded the app.

The state is a participant in the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ National Key Server. The state’s exposure notification app can download the keys or codes of any other state’s exposure notification app if they are both participating.

DC is a participant in the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ National Key Server. DC’s exposure notification app can download the keys or codes of any other state’s exposure notification app if they are both participating.

In September 2020, the state launched an app, COVID Alert DE, that uses Bluetooth technology to alert users they have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. As of February 2021,  100,000 people had downloaded the app. As of early May 2021, 11.5% of the state’s population had downloaded the exposure notifications app.

The state is a participant in the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ National Key Server. The state’s exposure notification app can download the keys or codes of any other state’s exposure notification app if they are both participating.

Several counties in South Florida use an exposure notification app, CombatCOVID, which notifies users if they have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19.

In April 2021, the state launched the Stronger Than C-19 community action survey. The anonymous survey is designed to gather information that helps the state track COVID-19 to improve the distribution of resources and initiatives across the state.

In January 2021, the state began using the  Healthy Together mobile app for contact tracing. Use of the app is voluntary and relies on location and Bluetooth data.

Georgia Tech uses the NOVID exposure notification app, which uses Bluetooth and sound waves to detect distance between two phones using the app and logs the anonymous codes of phones that are within six feet for more than 15 minutes. The app is voluntary for students, faculty, and staff on campus.

The state uses two local apps called AlohaSafe Story, which uses GPS technology to log the user’s location, and AlohaSafe Alert, which anonymously records contacts through Bluetooth and  Google/Apple Exposure Notification  technology.  As of May 2021, 45.7% of the population had downloaded the app. As of July 2021, it had 1 million activations.

The state also participates in the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ National Key Server. The state’s exposure notification app can download the keys or codes of any other state’s exposure notification app if they are both participating.

In March 2021, Marion County unveiled a contact tracing plan requiring all NCAA staff and athletes to wear a contact tracing device called SafeTag during the men’s basketball tournament in Indianapolis.

In August 2020, the University of Kansas launched an app created by CVKey Project to reopen its campus. Users can conduct a health self-assessment and then generate a QR code to verify access to campus buildings.

As of August 2020, the state rolled out GovConnect Contact Tracing software as a comprehensive case management system for COVID-19.

The state uses a COVID-19 tracing app called COVID Defense. The free app uses Bluetooth technology to send exposure alerts to contacts. As of May 2021, 10.2% of the population had downloaded the exposure notification app.

The Louisiana Department of Health’s Contact Tracing program is using SMS text messaging to provide COVID-19 positive individuals, their contacts, and travelers to the State with advice and support about infection, isolation and quarantine, how to protect their own health and that of others, and assistance in meeting basic needs while quarantined.

The contact tracers also collect personal information from individuals through SMS text messaging about their COVID-19 symptoms, health, isolation, and quarantine plans.

In December 2020, the state launched  technology to send text messages to individuals who test positive for COVID-19. Individuals must opt-in to receive the text messages.

The state is a participant in the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ National Key Server. The state’s exposure notification app can download the keys and codes of any other state’s exposure notification app if they are both participating. As of May 2021, 34.8% of the population had downloaded the exposure notification app.

On May 10, 2021, the Maryland Department of Health launched a media campaign, called “Don’t Invite COVID,” to encourage residents to continue participation in testing and contact tracing. The campaign uses social media and will run through October 2021. It also features TV and radio public service announcements as well as outdoor and other digital media.

Salesforce helps capture data from case investigations and contact tracing. Data from Salesforce are uploaded to MAVEN, the state disease surveillance system, daily. Testing facilities also report cases and contact info to MAVEN.

In June 2021, the state officially launched the MassNotify App. MassNotify builds on Apple and Google’s automated exposure notification platform using Bluetooth technology. When two people using MassNotify are near each other, their phones exchange random anonymous codes using Bluetooth. When a person tests positive for COVID-19, they receive a text message with instructions on how to anonymously share their test result with other users. MassNotify users who were near the person who tested positive may receive an anonymous alert about possible exposure. The alert will have a link to guidance on how to protect themselves and others. As of June 2021, 800,000 residents had enabled MassNotify, (about 11% of the population).

The state uses  MI COVID Alert, an app based on Apple and Google’s exposure notification platform using Bluetooth technology. Users who test positive receive a PIN that enables them to see their test results. Close contacts, defined as other app users within six feet of the person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes, will receive a notification that they are a close contact of an anonymous case, but only after the test results are manually entered into the system. As of January 2021, the MI COVID Alert app had been downloaded by about 500,000 people. A May 2021 report showed that 6.2% of the population had activated the exposure notification app.

The state is a participant in the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ National Key Server. The state’s exposure notification app can download the keys and codes of any other state’s exposure notification app if they are both participating.

The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association produced two mobile applications called “Temp Check” and “Guest Protect” to help restaurants could meet state requirements for screening staff and collecting guests’ contact information.

HealthPartners and the University of Minnesota developed a mobile application called SafeDistance. Clinicians at HealthPartners are encouraging patients and the public in the Twin Cities area to use the application.

In November 2020, the state launched COVIDaware MN, an app that notifies people when their phone has been in close proximity to the phone of a person with COVID-19 for enough time to be considered a close contact. As of January 2021, the app had been downloaded 367,000 times. A May 2021 report showed that 23.4% of the population had activated the exposure notification app.

COVIDaware MN participates in the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ National Key Server, which allows the state to download keys from other exposure notification apps that are on the server.

The Electronic COVID-19 Case Reporting System allows medical providers and required reporting entities to enter positive case information.

EpiTrax is a comprehensive disease surveillance system that receives reports from COVID-19 tests. EpiTrax uses test data to trigger case management and investigations by local public health agencies (LPHAs) and DHSS staff.

MO ACTS uses COVID-19 case contacts from EpiTrax and serves as the central contact tracing system for LPHAs, DHSS and contracted staff. Through MO ACTS, contacts can be contacted by phone, text or email.

Missoula County uses PatientOne, a locally developed app, to help with case management of quarantined individuals.

Yellowstone County is using software for trend identification for positive cases and contacts.

Some counties struggled with the Salesforce platform. For that reason, Clark County began using EpiTrax. Now the state plans to expand EpiTrax use to the rest of the state.

The state uses COVID Trace, an opt-in contact tracing app developed by Google and Apple that allows phones to anonymously exchange information when in close contact through Bluetooth.

The state has expanded capabilities of the COVID Trace app with Exposure Notification Express (ENX) through a partnership with Apple and Google. Now individuals can turn on ENX to alert users who have been within six feet for more than 15 minutes of a COVID-19-positive individual.

The app is on the National Key Server, which allows apps to download keys from other state apps on the server. As of June 2021, 25 states and Washington, DC have joined the National Key Server.

The state has also implemented a vendor developed Salesforce solution to support contact notification and monitoring called Granite Trace.

In September 2020, the state launched an exposure notification app, COVID Alert NJ, using Bluetooth proximity technology. The app is based on the platform developed by Google and Apple. The app is on the National Key Server which allows apps to download keys from other state apps on the server. As of June 2021, 25 states and Washington, DC have joined the National Key Server.

As of May 2021, 20.3% of the state’s population has downloaded the exposure notification app or activated EN express.

Santa Fe is encouraging residents to use a COVID-19 app, NOVID. Users anonymously log their COVID-19 status; it uses both Bluetooth and ultrasonic technology to measure the “time-sound takes” to sense the proximity of other NOVID-using phones. The app does not use Apple and Google’s platform.

The app is on the National Key Server, which allows apps to download keys from other state apps on the server. Twenty-five states and Washington, DC have joined the National Key Server.

In March, 2021, New Mexico Tech launched MinerSafe, a contact tracing app for campus students, faculty, and staff.

In October 2020, the state released an exposure notification app, COVID Alert NY, using Bluetooth technology. As of February 2021,  more than 1.3 million individuals have downloaded it. The app is based on technology developed by Apple and Google. The app is on the National Key Server which allows apps to download keys from other state apps on the server. As of June 2021, 25 states and Washington, DC have joined the National Key Server.

The state uses an exposure notification app using Bluetooth technology – SlowCOVIDNC. As of August 2021, the app had been downloaded  898,412 times.

The app is based on Google and Apple’s Exposure Notification System and alerts users if they have been in close contact with individuals who later test positive for COVID-19. The state is targeting marketing of the app at populations at high risk of exposure to COVID-19, including colleges and universities.

The app is also on the National Key Server which allows apps to download keys from other state apps on the server. As of June 2021, 25 states and Washington, DC have joined the National Key Server.

The state has two apps. The “Care19 Diary” serves as a memory aid that uses location data to help users who test positive for COVID-19 recall where they’ve visited to assist the contact tracing process. The “Care19 Alert” app uses exposure notification technology jointly developed by Apple and Google for public health agencies to supplement their COVID-19 contact tracing efforts.

The Care19 Alert app is on the National Key Server which allows apps to download keys from other state apps on the server. As of June 2021, 25 states and Washington, DC have joined the National Key Server.

Some local entities, such as the Lake County school district and the Cincinnati International Airport, are partnering with Volan Technology to use a Bluetooth-based contact tracing application.

In July 2021 the state reported it had updated its computer systems with new software from Google, after struggling with its previous disease tracking platform.

The state uses Orpheus, the state’s reportable disease database, to house information on case investigation and contacts. The state is also developing a separate COVID-19 active surveillance database that will use ARIAS. The platform will be a secure, central database offering needed information to contact tracers, case managers, and case investigators.

The state piloted an exposure notification app, OR Notify, in December 2020. The app used Bluetooth technology and is based on the platform created by Apple and Google. On April 7, 2021, the state announced it would not be launching the app, focusing efforts and resources instead on vaccination.

The state tested the app on the OSU campus, with nearly 5,000 participants. The system is not intended to replace traditional contact tracing, but will be used to alert users who were in close proximity to a positive case.

The state has a digital contact tracing system called Connect and Protect that directs individuals between ages 19 and 64 who test positive to fill out an online contact tracing questionnaire.

In September 2020, the state launched an app, COVID Alert PA, which uses proximity exposure technology. Users voluntarily report when they test positive, which in turn anonymously alerts other phones that have been in proximity for a specified time. It is available in four  languages. Individuals ages 13 through 17 are also able to use the app with parental consent. As of July 2021, there were 922,000 downloads of the App.

The app is on the National Key Server, which allows apps to download keys from other state apps on the server. Twenty-five states and Washington, DC had joined the National Key Server.

The state uses a text-based contact tracing system enabling residents to fill out an online form, providing contact information for close contacts. The system will automatically text the list of people, informing them they must self-quarantine. The system builds on the existing health portal, which residents use to check their COVID-19 results. The system is not designed to replace human contact tracers but to supplement the contact tracing work.

The CRUSH COVID RI app shares daily location data for up to the past 20 days with the state Department of Health (RIDOH), though the data are only made available if users opt-in to sharing. If locations emerge where multiple people tested positive in a short time frame, the RIDOH uses the data to take steps to close and sanitize the location. The app also includes a symptom tracking survey.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control does not use a contact tracing app. They maintain their data separately for privacy and security purposes.

The state uses a patient management software that has the capacity to rapidly reach contacts, provide education on the importance of quarantine, and allow them to monitor positive cases during quarantine.

The South Carolina Department of Corrections built an app to assist with tracking infections among prison staff.

Together with North Dakota, the state launched Care19, a location-tracking app to map the spread of COVID-19 and assist with contact tracing. The Care19 app is a location-logging application for use in contact tracing. The health department will ask people who test positive to share their location log for tracing purposes. The app can also automatically notify others who were close by and may have been exposed. Use of the app and disclosure of location information is voluntary.

A state lawmaker filed a bill in December 2020 that would prohibit the use of cell phone location data in contact tracing.

As Texas schools have resumed in-person learning, some schools are using “high-tech lanyards” with Bluetooth technology to monitor students and alert them if they come in close contact to someone with COVID-19. This helps automate the process of contact tracing, though local health departments still use traditional contact tracing methods.

In February 2021, Utah launched the Google/Apple Exposure Notification Express app.  The app uses Bluetooth technology to log anonymous keys of other users’ nearby phones. If a user tests positive, they can send an alert to the phones they came in contact with through the app  The app is part of the National Key Server which allows it to download keys from other state apps on the server. As of June 2021, 25 states and Washington, DC have joined the National Key Server.

As of May 2021, 17.2% of the state’s population has downloaded the exposure notification app or activated EN express.

Starting in December 2020, contacts maybe contacted via text message prior to receiving a call.

The state is using the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System Base System to manage COVID-19 case data.  This system helps public health departments manage reportable disease data and supports public health investigations.

The state also uses the Sara Alert system, which sends email and text messages that prompt a person with COVID-19 to complete a daily self-report of their symptoms.

In May 2020, the state launched COVIDCheck, a website which allows people to check their symptoms and guides them to testing, if needed.

The state also launched a proximity tracking app called COVIDWISE. Users must opt-in to the COVIDWISE notification system which uses their phone’s Bluetooth technology to track other app users. If one user encounters another who had a positive COVID-19 test within the last 14 days, the app will provide an exposure notification alert and next steps from the Department of Health.

In December 2020, the COVIDWISE app became part of the National Key Server which allows it to download keys from other state apps on the server. As of June 2021, 25 states and Washington, DC have joined the National Key Server.

In February 2021, the state launched COVIDWISE Express as an additional exposure notification tool for iPhone users. COVIDWISE Express does not require users to download the app, but is activated through the Exposure Logging on their smartphone.

As of May 2021, 24.1% of the state’s population has downloaded the exposure notification app or activated EN express.

The state uses the WA Notify app, which is based on Google Apple Exposure Notification technology. Users can opt in to receive notifications if a contact tests positive for COVID-19.

As of June 2021, WA Notify had more than 2 million users. The app is also on the National Key Server which allows it to download keys from other state apps on the server. As of June 2021, 25 states and Washington, DC have joined the National Key Server.

The state also uses SARA Alerts, a web-based monitoring tool, to send emails, texts and/or phone calls to cases and identified close contacts during their isolation/ quarantine monitoring period.

The state launched the WI Exposure Notification app in partnership with Apple and Google.  The app is on the National Key Server which allows it to download keys from other state apps on the server. As of March 2021, 1.2 million users have signed onto the contact tracing app.

As of June  2021, 25 states and Washington, DC had joined the National Key Server.

The app is also on the National Key Server which allows it to download keys from other state apps on the server. As of June 2021, 25 states and Washington, DC have joined the National Key Server.

Federal coronavirus relief money allocated to the state health department will pay for the contact tracing contracts. The state is using more than 30 million in CARES Act funding to provide testing, symptom monitoring, and notification of exposure to COVID-19 for higher education students in all of the state’s public and private institutions.

The state uses federal grants to support all aspects of the COVID-19 response, including contact tracing.

To develop a contact tracing curriculum, the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Center for Rural Health and Workforce accessed a $95,000 supplemental federal CARES Act grant, which the state matched.

In July 2020, Pima County health department entered into a six-month, $10-million contract with Maximus Health Services Inc, with options to extend as needed.  Under the contract, Maximus hires staff and performs contact tracing under the direction of the health department. In April 2021, the county voted to extend the contract until January 2022 for $5-million.

In December 2020, the state announced it would provide $115 million to its three public universities to cover COVID-19-related costs. The funds are drawn from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, part of the federal CARES Act.

Arizona will have access to new federal funds of around $1.4 billion for Arizona counties and $1 billion for two dozen of the state’s cities to implement various public health programming including services and programs to contain the spread of COVID-19, like contact tracing.

The state paid $1.6 million to WeHealth Solutions to develop the Covid Watch Arizona app.

In July 2020, the Arkansas CARES Act Steering Committee approved $38 million for contact tracing.

In June 2021, the CDC awarded $32.4 million to the state health department. The 2-year grant aims to reduce COVID-19-related health disparities and improve and increase contact tracing and testing among high-risk, underserved populations (including people living in rural communities).

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will provide $3.2 billion to the state for testing, contact tracing and other efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.

In November 2020, the state awarded a one-year, $2 million contract to UC San Diego Health to provide call center management support, CA COVID Notify Website maintenance, and other contact tracing operations support.

The federal agency for volunteering and service, the Corporation for National and Community Service, will support Colorado’s contact tracing initiative by redeploying AmeriCorps members and providing nearly $2 million in federal funding for new AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates and Senior Corps volunteers beginning as early as August 2021.

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The mayor directed $2.3 million from the district’s Contingency Cash Reserve Fund for initial contact tracing hires.

The state has invested more than $6.8 million into its contact tracing program.

The state invested about $390,000 of federal funding to develop, market, and maintain the COVID Alert DE app.

The state’s health department initially contracted with Maximus using $33.6 million from federal CARES funds.

In August 2020, Maximus reported the contract would likely increase to $75 million.

In March 2021, the state paid World Wide Technology of St. Louis $450,000 to design the Stronger Than C-19 community action survey to improve the distribution of resources and initiatives across the state.

Palm Beach County is using $875,600 in federal coronavirus aid for the CombatCOVID exposure notification app and Miami-Dade will pay $775,000.

In June 2020, the state department of health signed a $2.7 million contract with Twenty Labs, LLC for the state’s contact tracing platform. In December 2020, the governor’s office signed a $1.5 million contract for the company’s mobile contact tracing app Healthy Together.

In July 2021, the state announced a partnership with Mako Medical to provide supplies and services to process up to 10,000 tests per day. The partnership is meant to produce faster test results so that contact tracers can respond quicker.

The state received $81 million for testing and contact tracing from the federal COVID-19 relief bill. The state will be using federal funding from the American Rescue Plan for testing, contact tracing, and vaccinations.

The state is in a $2.5 million contract with the University of Hawaii using in-state funds for training.

The National Guard contract ends September 30, 2021.

The state is using $7 million from the CARES Act to fund contact tracers.

The governor’s 2021 proposed budget includes $250 million to continue to respond to the pandemic, including vaccine rollouts, testing and contact tracing.

As of late June 2021, local health departments across the state received approximately $230 million and community-based organizations are received another $60 million.

Chicago awarded the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership $56 million in state and federal funds to work with 31 community-based organizations to create a COVID Contact Tracing Corps and COVID Resource Coordination Hub. The Cook County Department of Public Health is funded to continue contact tracing through the end of 2021.

The state is contracting with Maximus to provide contact tracing for $43 million per year.

Indianapolis is contracting with the Indiana University School of Public Health at $10.5 million to provide contact tracing.

In January 2021, Indianapolis allocated an additional $1.9 million in city funds to support ongoing contact tracing.

In November 2020, the state awarded an emergency $2.3 million contact tracing contract to MCI to supply 200 contact tracers to help with a surge of cases. In January 2021, the state extended its contract with MCI for three months for about $1.6 million.

The state contracted with DOMO for $250,000 to develop new contact tracing software.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas awarded a $200,000 grant to the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments, which passed through funds in $5,000 increments to local health departments across the state to support contact tracing efforts.

The state has a $4.27 million contract with Deloitte to oversee the contact tracing technology.

A June 2021 report showed that the state spent $215 million of CARES Act funding on  PPE, contact tracing, testing and public awareness.

Nearly $290 million of the state’s share of the December 2020 Federal COVID Relief bill will be used for COVID-19 contact tracing, testing and mitigation efforts.

In May 2021, the CDC Foundation gave Xavier University $420,000 to create strategies for combatting disproportionate rates of COVID-19 among African Americans in New Orleans. These strategies will include community outreach about contact tracing.

In January 2021, the state’s Congressional delegation announced receipt of an additional $89 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds, including $77 million for testing, contact tracing, and other strategies.

In January 2021, the state’s congressional delegation announced receipt of over $400 million in federal funding from the Federal COVID Relief bill to expand COVID-19 vaccine distribution, contact tracing, and testing capacity.

The state received $452.1 million to expand COVID-19 testing, tracing, and mitigation as part of the December 2020 federal COVID relief bill.

The state has a $77 million contract with Partners in Health ($55 million through December 2020 plus an additional $22 million to  extend the contract through March 2021). In August 2021 the contract was extended again through December 2021.

The state has a $39 million contract with Accenture and Salesforce to develop and manage software.

Local boards of health received $10 million in grants from the state’s budget in 2020.

In March 2021, the governor signed legislation, which includes up to $555 million in federal funding for testing and tracing.

The state legislature authorized $8 million to create the information technology system needed to track cases and their contacts and $3 million to hire a temporary employment agency to fill staffing gaps.

The state has awarded several local and tribal organizations with funding to conduct community-based pandemic efforts, including contact tracing.

The state will receive $171 million to support testing, contact tracing, containment, and mitigation to monitor and suppress the spread of COVID-19 from the December 2020 Federal COVID Relief bill.

In April 2021, the state legislature allocated $166 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and vaccine distribution.

In January 2021, the state awarded the University of Nevada – Las Vegas School of Public Health an additional $1.7 million to continue contact tracing efforts.

The state’s private sector task force is closing out after spending over $12 million on PPE, testing supplies, and promotion of their contact tracing app.

Some state general funds and primarily federal COVID-19 funding allocated to New Hampshire are supporting the contact tracing operation.

The state allocated $100 million from the American Rescue Act for vaccines, testing, contact tracing, and other coronavirus-related expenses.

In March 2021, the New Jersey Department of Health partnered with Catholic Charities to help build a statewide COVID Community Corps to help provide COVID-19 health education, testing, and contact tracing support to underserved groups, including Black and Latinx communities.

The state established a $12.5 million contract with Accenture Healthcare Services to set up a call center for contact tracing.

New Mexico also has a $7.5 million dollar contract with MTX for contact tracing.

In November 2020, the governor signed a state relief package allocating $10 million dollars for testing, vaccine distribution, and contact tracing.

As of March 2021, New York City reported its contact tracing budget for the current fiscal year and the next at $582 million.

As of January 2021, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has spent $125 million CARES Act funding on testing and contact tracing.

In October 2020, the governor allocated $100 million of CARES Act funding to higher education, some of which will go to contact tracing.

The state allocated $21.7 million funds from the CARES Act for testing and contact tracing.

In November 2020, the Cherokee Nation received a $4 million grant for testing and contact tracing through a National Institutes of Health Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics for Underserved Populations grant.

In June 2021, the CDC awarded $34 million to the state health department. The 2-year grant aims to reduce COVID-19-related health disparities and improve and increase contact tracing and testing among high-risk, underserved populations (including people living in rural communities).

With stable funding from the state, Oregon counties are looking to hire permanent, full-time contact tracers.

The department of health was awarded a CDC grant of $18.7 million, a portion of which was earmarked  for contact tracing.

In July 2020, the state  contracted with Insight Global at  $23 million to increase its contact tracing workforce. In June 2021, the state cut ties with the vendor and is named in a lawsuit along with the vendor after personal health information of about 72,000 Pennsylvanians were compromised. In July 2021, the state’s Department of General Services approved a new $34 million contract with the Public Consulting Group.

The state contracted with NearForm Ltd. at $1.9 million to deploy and maintain the Covid Alert PA app.

As of January 2021, the Rhode Island Department of Health had received $70.4 million in federal funding, with $61 million supporting testing, contact tracing, and containment and mitigation efforts, and $9.5 million supporting vaccine distribution.

The 2021 Rhode Island budget included $180 million to cover COVID-19-related expenses, including contact tracing.

In June 2021, the CDC awarded $34 million to the state health department. The 2-year grant aims to reduce COVID-19-related health disparities and improve and increase contact tracing and testing among high-risk, underserved populations (including people living in rural communities).

The Tennessee Department of Health has a $20 million contract with Xtend Healthcare for a contact tracing call center. The contracts runs from June 2020 through June 2021.

In June 2021, the CDC awarded $39 million to the state health department. The 2-year grant aims to reduce COVID-19-related health disparities and improve and increase contact tracing and testing among high-risk, underserved populations (including people living in rural communities).

The state awarded a $295 million, 27-month contract to the MTX Group for contact tracing. The contract is set to expire on August 31, 2021. The contract had been the subject of 2 lawsuits and use of  taxpayer dollars for contact tracing is prohibited in the state’s new budget.

In June 2021, the CDC awarded $24 million to the state health department. The 2-year grant aims to reduce COVID-19-related health disparities and improve and increase contact tracing and testing among high-risk, underserved populations (including people living in rural communities).

$33 million of federal emergency aid dollars were approved for a variety of grants, mostly to defray increased costs in health and human services related to contact tracing and other actions required to combat COVID-19.

In April 2021, the state awarded a $10 million contract to AM Trace. The contract provides up to 75 full-time contract tracers and allows the state to scale up their contact tracing force as needed.

In June 2021, the CDC awarded $27 million to the state health department. The 2-year grant aims to reduce COVID-19-related health disparities and improve and increase contact tracing and testing among high-risk, underserved populations (including people living in rural communities).

In June 2021, the CDC awarded $29 million to the state health department. The 2-year grant aims to reduce COVID-19-related health disparities and improve and increase contact tracing and testing among high-risk, underserved populations (including people living in rural communities).

The state will receive $103.1 million through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act to expand testing and contact tracing.

In January 2021, the state announced an additional $86 million in funding for local and tribal health departments to offset COVID-19 related expenses, including contact tracing.