Contact tracing in public health is the process of identifying people who have have been exposed to an infected individual and collect information about who they may have also exposed. It is imperative to understand the chains of transmission to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The Massachusetts COVID Team and local board of health offices are working on a contact tracing program that does just that. The Community Tracing Collaborative will communicate with patients who have tested positive not only to provide them with resources in their recovery but to find out who they have been in contact with. The team will then reach out to those who were potentially exposed to encourage them to get tested and stay home.
In order for it to work effectively, they are asking municipalities and organizations to spread the word about the importance of contact tracing and community participation. Click here to access sample social media posts to help spread the word about this initiative. For more information about the toolkit and contact tracing program visit the state’s website here.