Johnson County Public Health (JCPH) has been conducting disease case investigation and contact tracing since COVID-19 first arrived in Johnson County in March 2020.
Disease Prevention Specialists conduct case investigations by calling individuals who test positive for COVID-19 to gather important information and provide instructions for isolation during illness. Contact tracing involves determining who had exposure during a positive person’s infectious period, and giving those who meet the definition of close contact, instructions for quarantine.
The primary goal of this work is to prevent further spread of disease.
During the past week, there has been a 250% increase in cases from the previous week. The total amount of cases in the past week reached an all-time high of almost 1,400 positive individuals. Due to this dramatic increase, JCPH no longer has the ability to contact everyone who tests positive to conduct case investigations and contact tracing. JCPH will continue to monitor COVID-19 cases in high-risk groups and coordinate with organizations who experience a rise in cases, evaluate capacity, and keep the public informed of changes in our COVID-19 response.
If you or someone you know tests positive for COVID-19, please go to the JCPH website for up to date isolation and quarantine guidance.
If you have further questions about COVID-19 illness, exposure or vaccination, please contact us at 319-356-6040 or [email protected]. Our staff is committed to answering your questions.
Sam Jarvis, Community Health Manager, said, “Vaccination is the best protection from serious illness and death from COVID-19. Please get vaccinated and boosted, wear a mask in indoor public places, and if you have symptoms, do not assume you have a cold or the flu. Get tested to be sure.”