Contact tracing In Philadelphia:
Contact tracing is a critical component of Philadelphia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are contacted by the Health Department, please answer or return these calls/texts. They are not spam.
How it works
1) Health Department contacts a person who has tested positive.
Contact tracing for COVID-19 begins when a specially trained case investigator from the Health Department contacts a person who has tested positive.
The Health Department is notified of everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 in Philadelphia. All testing labs are required to report this information.
2) A case investigator helps with plan for isolation.
The case investigator will help the person make a plan to isolate themselves (stay away from others) and keep an eye on their symptoms. In the home, anyone sick or infected should separate themselves from others by staying in a specific “sick room” or area and using a separate bathroom, if available.
Learn more about isolation with COVID-19.
3) Investigator asks about close contact with others.
The case investigator will also ask for the names and contact information of anyone the person with COVID-19 has had close contact with recently.
A close contact is someone who was within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes. This usually includes household members, intimate contacts, and caregivers, but can include others.
4) A contract tracer reaches out to those in close contact.
Next, a contact tracer will contact each of these “contacts” to tell them that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. The contact tracer is not permitted to reveal who provided their name; that information is private.
Our contact tracers will contact you via phone or text with one of these phone numbers:
- (215) 218-XXXX (phone)
- 77290 (text)
- (833) XXX-XXXX (text)
- (855) XXX-XXXX (text)
Please answer or return these calls and texts. Calls from these numbers are not spam.5A tracer monitors contact during 14-day quarantine.
The contact tracer will tell the “contact” that they need to quarantine, or stay at home away from others, for 10 days. They will also give guidance for shortening the length of quarantine to 7 days with a negative test. The contact tracer will enroll the “contact” in automatic symptom monitoring by text (SMS) every day for 14 days after their exposure to check on their symptoms (or provide a phone call instead if preferred)
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