Cooperation With Coronavirus Contact Tracers Critical: Officials
CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — After flattening the curve of the coronavirus, Camden County now faces the task of slowing the spread of the disease and keeping the numbers down, officials said on Wednesday.
As of Wednesday, there were 9,010 cases of the coronavirus in Camden County with 549 confirmed deaths. This includes 26 new cases and three new deaths reported on Wednesday.
The Camden County Department of Health is reminding residents to cooperate with contact tracers when they call.
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“In addition to wearing a mask and social distancing, cooperating with the health department’s contact tracers may be the best way to help slow the spread of coronavirus in your community,” Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Health Department, said. “If you receive a call from our contact tracers because you have contracted COVID-19 or were exposed to someone with the disease, please do your part to keep your family and community safe by answering the call.”
Contact tracers connect with individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus and other diseases to deliver critical help, officials said. They also gather additional information that can be used to stop the spread of the disease.
Contact tracers collect information for health purposes only and never share this information with other agencies like law or immigration enforcement, officials said. Contact tracers don’t reveal the names of those they have worked with on related calls without their permission, officials said.
The Health Department will also never ask individuals contacted for the purposes of contact tracing for sensitive, personal information such as social security numbers, credit card information, or other private data, officials said.
“Our contact tracing team is never going to persecute or shame someone for their actions, their only goal is to identify whether other people were exposed to the virus and then stop them from spreading it further,” Rodriguez said. “We know that these can be awkward conversations, but they are absolutely critical to our ability to contain this virus. If you want to protect your friends, family, and neighbors, working without contact tracing team is just as important as wearing a mask.”
A contact tracer might call anyone who has been diagnosed with the coronavirus to check in on their health, discuss who they’ve been in contact with, and ask them to stay at home to self-isolate.
A contact tracer might also call anyone who has been exposed to a person with the coronavirus, meaning they have been within 6 feet of that person for at least 15 minutes, to inform them that they’ve been exposed.
Anyone who has been exposed will be asked to stay at home and self-quarantine. Contact tracers will provide additional information regarding testing and how to protect the people they come in contact with.
“By making the choice to help the Camden County Health Department in the fight against COVID-19, you are keeping yourself, your family, and your community safe,” officials said.
See related: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know
This article originally appeared on the Gloucester Township Patch
