HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10426 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 20-10426
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 16, 2020
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SUBJECT: COVID19 — CONTACT TRACING
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Executive Summary
On June 2, 2020, City Council requested an update on Contact Tracing (CT) for COVID19 positive residents.
Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) is the Health Authority for the entire county and is solely responsible
for CT. General inquiries on CT and other COVID19/public health issues should be directed to Tarrant
County Public Health at (817) 648-2499 (COVID19 Hotline).
While large populous areas of the nation, including population centers in Texas, struggled with testing and
contact tracing resources early-on, most have significantly increased capacity and additional capacity
continues to be added. The City and TCPH have coordinated with UNTHSC to use medical students and
educators to supplement staff resources for contact tracing, testing, telephone support, reporting,
education and other critical services (56 temporary staff). Working with Workforce Solutions,TCPH
expects to add 60 additional temporary staff in the near future.
Contact tracing is a critical component of disease containment and mitigation. In preparation for future
viral surges later this summer into the fall and winter, TCPH is working with the Department of State
Health Services on coordinated data and resource sharing to safeguard the appropriate response.
Contact Tracing Process
Viral testing is performed by both private and public labs. This includes hospitals, clinics, mobile, dive up,
walk up and other similar operations. It also includes public labs like Tarrant County Public Health,
although public labs tend to have less/minimal capacity.
Any lab that receives a positive test must report the finding the local Health Authority. While Fort Worth
once had its own Health Authority, it was moved to TCPH in 2009 as part of the consolidation of public
health with the County. As such, TCPH is the City's Health Authority and receives all positive result data
and is responsible for all contact tracing.
Once TCPH is notified of a positive result, they initiate a call to the patient and collect information on the
patient's travel/contacts during the period that they would have been contagious. TCPH then attempts to
make contact with others who might have been exposed during the contagious period. Contact tracing is
most effective when people have had fewer contacts with strangers, have not travelled as much and
practiced social distancing. It is much more difficult during periods of sustained community spread,
where populations gather in large groups, travel frequently, and do not practice social distancing.
TCPH will follow-up with positive patients at different intervals and/or as required to carry out additional
contact tracing. As part of the process, they will give patients instructions on self-solation and updated
guidance on when they can end the isolation. Through their Hotline, they can also answer general patient
questions about the virus, social distancing and how to receive additional medical assistance if needed.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 20-10426
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 16, 2020
Page 2 of 2
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SUBJECT: COVID19 — CONTACT TRACING
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Coordinated Efforts
The City coordinates with TCPH on contact tracing through the City's Health Officer/Code Compliance
Director. Specifically, the agencies coordinate to identify known or suspected health risks to first
responders. As an example, a resident exposure would be helpful information so that first responders can
make sure that they are wearing proper PPE, are limiting the number of staff involved, and implement
special care and transport protocols to reduce viral transmission/risks.
The agencies also coordinate on special populations such homeless shelters and nursing/resident care
homes and local jails where the potential for viral spread is greater and the health risks higher because of
a more susceptible population. Consequently, testing and contact tracing are especially important in
these facilities.
City Employee/Work Place Tracing
TCPH is also responsible for notifying City employees if they are exposed (known) to a COVID19 positive
person. TCPH has a unique method for applying HIPPA protections and limits the sharing of data much
more so than other agencies. Given this, the City will also perform HIPPA protected contact tracing in the
workplace in an effort to reduce disease transmission at City facilities.
Currently, employee contact tracing is coordinated through the Joint Emergency Operations Center (JEOC)
and departmental Medical Records Custodians (MRC). Once the appropriate departmental orJEOC staff
are alerted of a positive Covid-19 employee, staff initiate the trace back protocols in an effort to make a
determination of risk exposure which could include isolation as well as testing of other city staff.
For more information, please contact Brandon Scott Bennett, Code Compliance Director/Health Officer at
(817) 392-6322.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS