The Kansas Department of Health and Environment will be discontinuing contact tracing services next month.
In a news release from Lyon County Public Health Tuesday, Public Health says they will also be discontinuing contact tracing services effective immediately. Public Health Information Officer Justin Ogleby says the end of the service comes as there are simply not enough resources or staff available to keep up with the ongoing surge in cases.
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern says the end of contact tracing does not mean Public Health will not still be available as a resource to the community. It simply means they will not be the one’s overseeing case monitoring.
KDHE will be ending all contact tracing effective Feb. 1. In addition to notifying their own close contacts, Public Health still highly encourages residents to get vaccinated or boosted if they have not already done so.
Also, mask use and social distancing is still highly recommended in public areas and residents who may have been exposed to a positive COVID patient or who are feeling sick should stay home.
The end of contact tracing services comes as Lyon County is experiencing record overall and active case numbers. The active total currently sits at 835 since Monday with an overall total of 8,111 or nearly a quarter of Lyon County’s total population having been infected.
