>> 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.