by Carolyn Bick
Four new cases of COVID-19 have been detected at the King County Jail in downtown Seattle, according to an internal email shared with the Emerald on Jan. 4.
Continue reading BREAKING: Four New COVID Cases Detected at King County JailTag Archives: Contact Tracing
COVID Contact Tracers Navigate Cultural and Emotional Nuance
by Sally James
When Ben Meana calls, people have all sorts of reactions. They might hang up. They might worry. Or they might be glad to learn more about protecting their family and community from COVID-19.
Meana is a contact tracer for Public Health — Seattle and King County. Every morning, whether he’s working from his home or his office at Harborview Medical Center, he starts calling people who have tested positive for COVID-19. These people have recently taken a virus test, some at the drive-up or walk-up testing stations established across Seattle, Renton, Auburn, and Shoreline. Meana has plenty of experience doing this job — before the pandemic, he performed contact tracing for sexually transmitted diseases.
Continue reading COVID Contact Tracers Navigate Cultural and Emotional Nuance
Washington National Guard to Staff COVID-19 Contact Tracing Program Only Until June 24?
compiled by Emerald Staff
Wednesday, Governor Jay Inslee announced Washington State’s COVID-19 contact tracing program. Over 700 National Guard members have been trained to do much of this labor-intensive work — at least until June 24.
Tuesday, national media revealed that over 40,000 National Guard members’ deployment across the country ends on June 24 — one day short of qualifying for early retirement or education benefits. This includes the 700-plus Guard members already trained and starting to conduct contact tracing here in Washington.
Continue reading Washington National Guard to Staff COVID-19 Contact Tracing Program Only Until June 24?
Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee Unveils Novel Coronavirus Contact Tracing Plan
by Carolyn Bick
Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled the state’s novel coronavirus contact tracing plan in a press conference on May 12.
The plan is meant to “box in the virus,” Inslee said, and work in tandem with the state’s phased reopening plan. The contact tracing plan will involve almost 1,400 contact tracing team members, including 351 members of the Washington State National Guard and a combination of more than 600 local and state health department officials. The effort will not directly involve law enforcement, and the National Guard will not have law enforcement capabilities.
Continue reading Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee Unveils Novel Coronavirus Contact Tracing Plan