INFORMATION AND COMMENT TODAY.
% >> WITH MORE TESTING AVAILABLE,
% WISCONSIN IS SEEING A SURGE IN
% THE NUMBER OF REPORTED CASES.
% AT THE SAME TIME, THE DEPARTMENT
% OF HEALTH SERVICES ANNOUNCED IT
% IS AIMING TO HIRE 1,000 MORE
% CONTACT TRACERS TO TRACK THE
% SPREAD OF COVID-19.
% IT'S A JOB LOCAL HEALTH
% DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN REQUIRED
% TO UNDERTAKE ON THEIR OWN FOR
% SEVERAL MONTHS.
% MARISA WOJCIK TALKS WITH TWO
% LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS IN
% SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN ABOUT THIS
% CRUCIAL STEP IN TRACKING THE
% OUTBREAK.
% >> OKAY.
% SO WE JUST HAVE TO GO THROUGH
% THIS POSITIVE INTERVIEW FORM.
% >> IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR
% COVID-19, YOU MAY GET A CALL
% THAT SOUNDS A LITTLE LIKE THIS.
% >> HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOME
% SYMPTOMS AND THEN SOME
% PREEXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS
% AND DOCUMENTING ANY CONTACTS YOU
% MAY HAVE HAD.
% >> IT'S FROM A CONTACT TRACER,
% AND THERE'S A NETWORK OF THEM
% ACROSS THE STATE TRACKING THE
% DISEASE.
% >> IF WE CAN IDENTIFY A POSITIVE
% CASE AND THE PEOPLE THEY WERE IN
% CONTACT WITH, WE CAN WRAP OUR
% ARMS AROUND THAT POCKET OF
% PEOPLE AND ENSURE THAT THEY ARE
% NO LONGER SPREADING THE DISEASE.
% >> IS THE DIRECTOR OF AN AREA
% WITH A RELATIVELY LOW NUMBER OF
% POSITIVE CASES.
% >> WE HAVE CONTACTS THAT HAVE
% BEEN AT HOME FOR DAYS AND WENT
% TO THE GROCERY STORE AND HAD A
% FRIEND THEY TALKED TO FOR 15
% MINUTES.
% THEN WE HAVE OTHER SITUATIONS
% WHERE PEOPLE LIVE IN A
% CONGREGATE SETTING AND INTERACT
% WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE AND IT
% BECOMES MORE COMPLICATED.
% >> THIS WAS A CONTACT TRACING OF
% A FIRE DEPARTMENT AND NUMBERS OF
% INFECTIONS AT EACH STATION.
% >> AS THE STATE BEGINS TO OPEN
% UP, AGGRESSIVE TESTING AND
% CONTACT TRACING ARE HEALTH
% OFFICIALS' BEST LINES OF
% DEFENSE.
% THE MORE PEOPLE GET TESTED, THE
% BETTER.
% >> IT BECOMES THIS CONTINUOUS
% PROCESS FOR US.
% >> MARGARET GESNER LEADS THE
% CENTRAL RACINE PUBLIC HEALTH
% DEPARTMENT AND A COUNTY
% EXPERIENCING THE THIRD LARGEST
% OUTBREAK IN THE STATE.
% SHE SAID THEY HAVE FIVE CONTACT
% TRACERS, BUT FOR THE POPULATION
% SHE OVERSEES THEY NEED AN
% AVERAGE OF 75.
% >> SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE
% NOWHERE CLOSE TO WHERE WE NEED
% TO BE.
% YOU KNOW, WE DON'T LIVE ON AN
% ISLAND.
% AND SO I THINK THAT WE SHOULD
% ALL BE CONCERNED.
% >> LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH
% DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING THEIR BEST
% TO MEET THE DEMAND.
% >> WE ARE TAKING IT OUT OF OUR
% UNDESIGNATED FUND BALANCE AND
% RUNNING A NEGATIVE.
% >> BUT FUNDING IS IN SHORT
% SUPPLY TO PAY FOR TRACERS.
% >> PEOPLE ARE THE MOST EXPENSIVE
% RESOURCES AND WE HAVE A CRITICAL
% NEED SINCE THE STATE IS STARTING
% TO OPEN UP TO HANDLE THE SPREAD
% OF THE VIRUS THAT WE KNOW IS
% GOING TO HAPPEN.
% >> FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M
% MARISA WOJCIK.