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Contact Tracing: Quarantine & Isolation Resources

Contact tracing is critical to our community's ability to continue limiting the spread of COVID-19. People who participate in contact tracing are actively helping to keep their community safe by helping public health officials track the virus. 

Contact tracing involves educating people who are sick so they understand why they need to isolate, making sure those people have what they need to stay isolated, and identifying additional people who may have been exposed.

COVID19 Guidebook: After Testing       

isolation versus quarantine

More Information on Contact Tracings and Frequently Asked Questions

Lane County’s COVID-19 risk level is currently rated as “Extreme,” indicating widespread disease activity over the previous 14 days. Due to the increased number of cases in Lane County, Lane County Public Health (LCPH) is not able to contact everyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.  This Surge Plan is so LCPH and community members can work together to prevent disease spread in our county.

Why am I receiving a letter from LCPH?

Every person who tests positive for COVID-19 will receive a letter explaining how to safely and effectively isolate at home for the duration of their infectious period.

When you get tested, please make sure your contact information (mailing address and phone number) are current and up-to-date. That way our letter will arrive quickly to your home.

Why didn't I receive a contact tracing phone call?

During the surge in cases, LCPH will prioritize phone calls to people who are at highest risk for more severe disease, or who work with people at high risk, and people under 18 so we can identify cases in our school-aged residents. Examples include (but are not limited to) people over 60 years old, residents of elder-care facilities or people who work in elder-care facilities. LCPH also wants to talk to household members of high-risk people, so staff can advise household members how to take care of each other.
If you fall into a high-risk group, please make sure your phone number is current and up-to-date when you get tested.  And please, answer our calls or respond to our text messages. We like talking to you!

When younger people are tested, please provide a current phone number for the parent or guardian who can answer the call and speak to LCPH staff.

How is Lane County addressing at-risk populations?

LCPH will identify emerging at-risk populations or geographic locations and prioritize our response accordingly. Examples include essential workers, Latinx and people of color living in our county or under-served areas of Lane County with high numbers of COVID-19 cases.

If you have ideas about groups who need outreach, please call our COVID-19 call center at (541) 682-1380 Monday-Friday with your ideas.

Patient Care and Isolation

Yes. Your medical information is protected by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). All staff and volunteers who are serving as contact tracers have received HIPPA training. Information collected during contact tracing is stored on secure servers that are only accessible to approved Public Health officials.

We will also not identify you as a possible exposure point when we call your potential contacts. They may be able to make an educated guess, but Lane County will not confirm that information. You may choose to identify yourself to your contacts if you prefer.

Investigation

When a contact tracer reaches out to a potential contact, they will ask several questions to confirm your identity (name, date of birth, address). They will also ask for information regarding your gender and ethnicity, as well as your workplace.

Contact tracers will also ask if you’ve had any COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath and others. If so, they will ask when you first began feeling sick and for how long.

Finally, contact tracers will ask whether you need help accessing resources during your quarantine.

Lane County and its contact tracers will not ask for your social security number, banking details or financial information. There will be no requests for payment. If you are contacted by someone who tells you they are a contact tracer, but asks for this kind of information please do not provide that information.

Lane County and its contact tracers will not ask for your immigration status and will not share information with immigration authorities or law enforcement. The information gathered will be used only by public health officials.

Monitoring

Please review the Quick Links (below on mobile devices - above right on desktop and tablet devices) for quarantine and isolation resources.

 Lane County Public Health may provide a case manager who can connect you with area non-profits and organizations to help.

This may include assistance with groceries, prescription pick-up, and infection prevention supplies (e.g., thermometers) as well as filing for unemployment, applying for health insurance, applying for utility assistance, and more.

Lane County may also be able to provide a safe place for community members to isolate.

What if I need help with resources to quarantine/isolate? (Groceries, prescriptions etc.)?

View the Quick Links to the right (below on mobile devices) or the above "Resources for Community Members" section for a list of resources.

COVID-19 Information -

Resources regarding case counts, vaccines and more (Español tambien).

www.lanecounty.org/coronavirus