Waukesha County Suspends Most COVID-19 Contact Tracing

WAUKESHA COUNTY, WI — Waukesha County Public Health on Thursday announced changes to its COVID-19 investigations and contract tracing process based on recommendations from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

"Public health experts at the state and national levels recognize we have entered a new phase in the COVID-19 pandemic," county health officer Benjamen Jones said in a statement. "The highly contagious, yet more mild, characteristics of the Omicron variant have decreased the effectiveness of disease investigation and contact tracing. Meanwhile, the community has many more tools available, including vaccination, better treatment options, widespread access to testing, and familiarity with strategies to stop the spread of this virus. Therefore, the best use of our limited resources is to shift from investigating all COVID-19 cases to focus on our most vulnerable residents."

The state encourages local health departments to focus on outbreaks and case investigations to prevent disease and death in vulnerable populations, the county said.

The new processes include:

• Waukesha County residents 18-69 years old who test positive for COVID-19 will no longer be sent communication from the health department.
• Residents 70 and older, who are not affiliated with a long-term care facility, will get a letter.
• Parents and guardians of children 17 and younger will get a text alert from the number 262-600-2255 (CALL).

The County will still work with groups such as schools, long-term care facilities and businesses, but contact tracing efforts will be suspended, the county said.