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Michigan contact tracers 'overwhelmed' due to current surge in COVID-19 cases

Posted at 8:24 AM, Dec 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-02 08:24:19-05

Michigan health department workers are getting "overwhelmed" with contact tracing due to the sheer amount of community spread.

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In a press conference Tuesday, Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said although the state's abilities for contact tracing are the "highest they've been," they cannot reach out to everyone in a timely way.

She said contact tracers are able to attempt outreach to over 4,000 positive cases on a daily basis. However, the current surge in COVID-19 cases is surpassing the staff's ability to perform timely outreach to all people who test positive.

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Dr. Khaldun said the state is hiring additional staff and continuing to provide guidance to local health departments.

She also encouraged Michiganders to download the MiCovidAlert app.

Additional Coronavirus information and resources:

Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.

View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.

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