Kendall Co. Successfully Traced 64% Of All Its Coronavirus Cases

KENDALL COUNTY, IL — Kendall County Health Department contact tracers have been successful at interviewing 64 percent of residents who tested positive for the coronavirus between Aug, 1-Oct. 24, according to Illinois Department of Public Health data.

To slow the spread of the virus, contact tracers reach out to someone who tests positive to make sure they're self-isolating, and then attempt to find out who they were in contact with who might also be at risk of infection.

Although Kendall County has reached more people than Will and Cook counties, according to the data, it has still underperformed when compared to other counties which have similar case counts and population. During the same three-month frame, LaSalle County interviewed 92 percent of its positive cases and DeKalb County, with similar metrics, interviewed 74 percent of its cases.

Kendall County Health Department Executive Director RaeAnn VanGundy told Patch she is not sure why the county is lagging slightly, but "what I do know is that our contact tracing staff are working long hours to meet the increased demand."

"As our positivity rate increases, the capacity to reach all cases within 24-48 hours decreases. We have reached a point where the cases are outnumbering our capacity for a quick response," she said. "We are increasing our contact tracing staff to the best of our ability to meet the needs of the community."

She said the department hired 10 contacts tracers who work alongside six existing staff members. The plan is to hire three more part-time temporary staff to help with the influx of cases.

In Kendall County, contact tracers have attempted to contact 85 percent of individuals who were confirmed or suspected of contracting the virus. The data does not include individuals in long term care or correctional facilities, according to IDPH.

County contact tracers also attempted to reach "close contacts," that are individuals an infected person may have exposed to the virus. So far, they have attempted to reach 72.6 percent of close contacts and successfully interviewed almost 61 percent. In this, the county performed better than DeKalb County, but trailed LaSalle County.

Statewide, contact tracers attempted to reach about 69 percent of cases, but have successfully interviewed just about 53 percent of those people.

For more information, visit dph.illinois.gov/covid19.

VanGundy urged people adhere to the quarantine or isolation recommendations from their health care provider if they or someone in their house has either tested positive, or have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive case.

"Also, if the health department is trying to contact you, please, answer the call. We all need to work together to slow the spread of this virus," she said.

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