TARRANT COUNTY, TX
Public Health
COVID-19 Contact Tracing
It's still out there.
COVID-19 remains a serious health concern and Public Health is actively working to slow its spread, if not stop it.
You can help!
It's Public Health's job to identify those with a contagious disease and track or trace everyone they've had contact with. This is called contact tracing.
Once a person has been identified with a contagious disease, Public Health Epidemiology staff or representatives will interview this person and/or their relatives to find out where they've been and who they've been in contact with. Then, the staff or representative will attempt to contact those people by phone, email or may go directly go to homes or other locations where people may have been in contact with the person carrying the disease to conduct further interviews and recommend treatment, if needed.
If we contact you, talk to us.
The information you provide can not only help keep you and your family from getting sick, but it will also be invaluable in slowing the spread of COVID-19, as well as any contagious disease.
How answering the call stops the spread
Why contact tracing matters
Many people who have COVID-19 don’t show any symptoms and don’t realize they may be spreading the virus. Contact tracing only works if you talk to and share information with a contact tracer.
How will you be contacted if you have COVID-19?
We will attempt to reach you based on the contact information supplied to us by your medical provider or the information you submitted at the drive-through testing site.
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed and your information has been reported to Tarrant County Public Health you will receive the following message:
“This is an important message, please listen carefully. Tarrant County Public Health is trying to reach you to get information about your health. Tell us how to connect with you.
• Select 1 for completing an online survey, go to www.tarrantcountytx.gov/casesurvey
• Select 2 for receiving a call from a contact tracer
• Select 3 for Placing a call to the hotline at 817-248-6299 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Select 4 for None of the above
The phone and text message continue to be sent to you every hour until either you select one of the choices or the system has tried four times to reach you and you have not responded to any of the attempts.
About confidentiality
We’ll call your contacts and let them know they have been exposed so they can get tested, but not tell them your name. Your information will remain confidential. Contact tracers will never:
- Ask for your Social Security number or bank account number
- Ask about money or payment.
Contact tracers may:
- Ask your health insurance status and obtain information on insurance, but only in the context of assisting in obtaining additional medical care or testing.
If you are uncomfortable in answering a question, you can decline to answer a question, but still can participate in completing the case or contact interview.
How can I stay informed with public health issues?
The Tarrant County Health Alert Network allows public health to quickly share information about urgent public health incidents affecting the county. You can join this network by visiting this website and choosing which topics that interest you and how you want to be alerted. When those topics are updated, you will receive an alert notice by the method you have selected.
Current topics you can select include:
- Communicable Disease/Immunization
- Data and Reports
- Environmental Health
- Public Health Preparedness
Cooperation with public health contact tracers is vital to stopping COVID-19.
For more information about contact tracing, call 817-248-6299.