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Arkansas Department of Health briefs committee on rising cases, contact tracing and testing needs
Summary
State epidemiologist updated the committee on COVID-19 case counts, hospitalizations and contact-tracing procedures, urging expanded testing and tracing capacity before broad reopening; legislators pressed for testing metrics and school guidance.
The Arkansas Department of Health told the State Agencies committee on May 19 that testing and contact tracing — not simply relaxed restrictions — must be in place before the state can safely move to broader reopening.
Dr. Jennifer Dillehay, the state epidemiologist, gave the committee updated totals and trends and described how the department conducts contact tracing: case interviews by trained nurses, identification of close contacts (within six feet for 15 minutes or more), enrollment in an active-monitoring system (Sara Alert) and follow-up testing when symptoms develop. She said…
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