The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is requesting assistance from COVID positive individuals to provide notification to their close contacts of their positive status as part of its modified approach to contact tracing.
The SHA stated in a news release that positive COVID-19 cases are surging, as well as the number of close contacts being identified by cases. This surge combined with limited public health resources has resulted in an inability to provide timely notification to individuals who may have been exposed and are at risk.
The SHA says it will provide information to infected people, to pass on to others they were in close contact with to prevent spreading. They will also continue to notify individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 of their result and provide instructions on isolation.
According to SHA, they will continue to identify persons testing positive in healthcare settings, vulnerable populations, long term care and other congregate living settings to prioritize investigations in these setting so that outbreak prevention and control measures can be put into action quickly.
The Ministry of Health and SHA are working together to review the protocols around school case management and contact tracing, as they continue to encourage everyone to install the COVID-19 Alert app to help alert people of possible exposures.