Lake Co. Successfully Traced 65% Of All COVID Cases

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Lake County Health Department contact tracers have been successful at interviewing 65.23 percent of residents who tested positive for the coronavirus between Aug. 1 and Nov. 7, according to Illinois Department of Public Health data.

To slow the spread of the virus, contact tracers reach out to someone who tests positive to make sure they're self-isolating, and then attempt to find out who they were in contact with who might also be at risk of infection.

In Lake County, contact tracers have attempted to contact 88.43 percent of individuals who were confirmed or suspected of contracting the virus. The data does not include individuals in long term care or correctional facilities, according to IDPH.

• Illinois Coronavirus Update Nov. 16: 11,632 New Cases, 37 Deaths

County contact tracers also attempted to reach "close contacts," that are individuals an infected person may have exposed to the virus. So far, they have attempted to reach 51.51 percent of close contacts and successfully interview 43.02 percent.

Statewide, contact tracers attempted to reach about 69 percent of cases, but have successfully interviewed just about 53 percent of those people. In recent weeks, state officials urged residents to answer calls from contact tracers and also to be sure to give the correct phone number when receiving a COVID-19 test. For those who test positive, the phone number is needed so contract tracers can reach out to get more information.

So, what happens on a contract tracing call.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, if you test positive for COVID-19 or were in close contact with someone who did, you’ll get a call from IL COVID HELP. That’s one of the public health workers. Answering is extremely important, as it helps us do contact tracing effectively.

During the call, they will:

• Determine who you’ve had close contact with recently
• Answer your questions and help alleviate any concerns
• Offer you additional support and resources

For more information, visit dph.illinois.gov/covid19.