Florida is contact-tracing but sharing few details about it

During a press conference on May 6 in Miami, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees explained how the state is attacking COVID-19.

STOPPING THE SPREAD OF ANYDANGEROUS DISEASE.

FLORIDAGOVERNOR SAYS THEYDOING IT SINCE THE BEGINNINGOF THE STATEAS WE LOOK TO REBOUND --CONTACT 5 INVESTIGATOR KATIELAGRONE FINDS OUT WHY STATEEFFORTS ARE FALLING SHORT..AND WHAT THE PLAN IS..

MOVINGFORWARD.<< MAY 6TH27:04- TESTING ALSO GOES HANDIN HAND WITH SOMETHING WE CALLCONTACT TRACING IT MEANSIDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS WHOHAVE COVID 19, IDENTIFYING WHOTHEIR CONTACTS ARE AND HAVINGTHOSE INDIVIDUALS ISOLATE.FLORIDATO DECLARE27:17- THIS IS A WAY THATWETHE CYCLE OF TRANSMISSION FROMPERSON TO PERSON.

LONGCONSIDERED ONE OF THE OLDESTTOOLS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTHTOOLBOX&CONTACT TRACING IS ACENTURIES OLD WAY OF STOPPINGTHE SPREAD OF DANGEROUSDISEASES IN FLORIDA&STATEHEALTH LEADERS HAVE TOUTED THEPRACTICE AS PART OF THESTATEITS BATTLE AGAINST COVID-19.DR. RIVKEES 27:25- WEDOING IT FROM THE VERYBEGINNING AND ARE CONTINUINGTO EXPAND.

BUT DETAILS ON HOWTRACING THE VIRUS FROM PERSONTO PERSON REMAIN LARGELYUNKNOWN.

ADRIANE 4:47- ITCANALWAYS DONE IT.

ADRIANECASALOTTI OF THE NATIONALASSOCIATION OF COUNTY AND CITYHEALTH OFFICIALS IS AN EXPERTIN CONTACT TRACING&ANDEXPLAINS WHY TRACING THECORONAVIRUS IS PRESENTINGCHALLENGES THEYBEFORE ADRIAN 5:04- WITHCORONAVIRUS, EVERY MINUTECOUNTS.

EVERY MINUTE THATWEWHO MAY BE INFECTED AND ASKINGTHEM TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROMTHE GENERAL POPULATION IS AMINUTE THEY CAN BETRANSMITTING THE DISEASE.

5:15IN FLORIDA&AFTER REPEATEDREQUESTS FOR DETAILS ON ITSCONTACT TRACING EFFORTS&INCLUDING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLETRACED&AND THE NUMBER OF THOSETRACING&A SPOKESPERSON WITHTHE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TOLDUS IN THIS EMAIL&“MORE THAN1,100 INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDINGSTUDENTS, EPIDEMIOLOGISTS ANDOTHER STAFF FROM ACROSS THEDEPARTMENT, ARE CURRENTLYINVOLVED IN CONTACT TRACINGEVERY POSITIVE CASE OFCOVID-19 IN FLORIDA” THAT1100 TRACERS IN A STATE WITH21 1/2 MILLION PEOPLE.

7:55-KATIE- IS THAT ENOUGH?CASALOTTI- WELL WE ESTIMATE WENEED AT MINIMUM WE NEED 30CONTACT TRACERS PER 100,000PEOPLE WHICH MEANSTO INDUSTRY STANDARDS, FLORIDAIS MORE THAN 5000 TRACERSSHORT.

THE STATE SAYS IT IS“SUCCESSFULLY MEETING THECURRENT OPERATIONAL DEMAND”ADDING THE RATE OF POSITIVECASES IN FLORIDA IS ON THEDECLINE.

BUT STATE SENATORJANET CRUZ, A DEMOCRAT FROMTAMPA REMAINS CONCERNED.SENATOR JANET CRUZ 5:50- WEHAD TO SCURRY TO HIREEPIDEMIOLOGISTS- WE DIDNHAVE AS MANY EMPLOYED AS WESHOULD HAVE AND WE STILLDONPOLK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT-TRACING IS ENTERED INTO ASTATE DATABASE FOR MONITORINGWHICH HAPPENS OVER THE PHONEOR THRU A TEXT MESSAGE SYSTEM.MEANTIME, THE STATE SAY THEYARE PREPARED TO FURTHER EXPANDTHE NUMBER OF CONTACT TRACERS,IF NECESSARY.

KL WPTV NC 5.