Marquette County Health Department releases contact tracing update

By Willie S. Morrissey Last updated Mar 3, 2022

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – Due to the sharp increase in positive cases in the community and the recent update to the CDC’s isolation and quarantine guidelines, the Marquette County Health Department (MCHD) will realign its approach to tackling COVID by moving away from individual case investigations to focus on outbreak investigations and infection prevention.

As a result, there will be a change in who MCHD can contact.

MCHD will now only use Patient Education Genius (PEG) to contact people reported as positive cases. Those who provide a cell phone number or email at the time of testing will be contacted with a link to complete an electronic form that will be reviewed by the health department. Providing this information helps us monitor COVID trends in the community and make decisions about where to use resources. This information is particularly important for those with school-aged children so that schools can be informed, the MCHD said in a press release.

If you do not receive the PEG form, you will not be contacted by MCHD. Due to the large number of cases, MCHD cannot provide one-on-one assistance in determining quarantine, approving the end of isolation, or providing letters to employers. If you need proof of a positive test result, you should contact the facility where you were tested.

All members of the public, including school-aged children, can follow recent CDC guidelines for how long to isolate and how long to quarantine after exposure. Healthcare facilities and long-term care facilities may adopt longer timelines. MCHD recommended the following in a press release on Tuesday:

If you test positive for COVID-19:

Stay home for 5 days. Wear a properly fitted mask if you must be around other people in your home.
If you have no symptoms or if your symptoms disappear after 5 days (including if you have not had a fever for 24 hours), you can leave your home.
Continue to wear a mask around others for another 5 days.

If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19:

If you are up to date on all COVID-19 vaccinations, wear a mask around others for 10 days, test on day 5 if possible.
If you are not vaccinated, have not completed the primary vaccination or have not received your booster when you are entitled to it, stay at home for 5 days. Test on day 5 if possible. Wear a mask for 10 full days whenever you are with other people inside your home or in public.
If you cannot quarantine yourself, you must wear a mask for 10 days.
Monitor your health and if you develop symptoms, stay home and get tested.

If you tested positive with a home test:

Follow the isolation guidelines.
Notify your contacts and encourage them to follow guidelines for someone who has been exposed to COVID-19.
You do not need to report your positive test to the health department. Home tests cannot be confirmed and are not included in the daily case count.
If you need proof of a positive test for work, look for a confirmatory test at a testing site. Do not go to the emergency room for tests.

The Marquette County Health Department encourages everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated. Vaccines are available for anyone 5 years of age and older. Boosters are available for ages 12 and up. For more information on COVID-19 vaccines and testing, please visit our website mqthealth.org.