Local Task Force Stresses Need for Strong Virus Contact Tracing

HYANNIS – The Cape Cod Reopening Task Force says contact tracing efforts will be increasingly important as the COVID-19 response continues.

Cape & Islands State Senator Julian Cyr explained how vital it is to get in touch with individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19 from another person who has tested positive, especially after recent cases in Chatham and Nantucket.

“This is a capability that we deploy to prevent positive cases from spreading the virus further,” the senator explained.

Cyr said that contact tracing is able to account for the majority of coronavirus cases, regardless of whether a person has left the state or not. Interstate efforts in contact tracing have played a part in coronavirus numbers not being as severe in the region to this point, he added.

Jane Bollin of the Visiting Nurses Association of Cape Cod has been working alongside the state in contact tracing efforts.

“A lot of what we do is teaching,” Bollin said, “because a lot of the information out there has changed in the last six months or so.”

Bollin explained that those doing contact tracing call individuals who test positive and conduct a thorough interview that aims to figure out what prompted them to get tested, how they may have been exposed to COVID-19, and who they have been in contact with since becoming contagious. Those close contacts are then advised of their potential exposure, recommended to get tested, and advised to quarantine themselves for 14 days.

About Brendan Fitzpatrick

Brendan, a recent graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is one of the newest members of the CapeCod.com NewsCenter team. When not on the beat, you'll probably find him watching Boston sports.



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