AHS changing contact tracing process

Alberta Health Services is no longer doing all the contact tracing of close contacts of someone who tests positive for COVID-19.

The increased number of cases and up to triple the previous number of close contacts has posed challenges for the contact tracing team.

Effective Friday, AHS will temporarily change the current approach.

AHS will only notify close contacts of cases confirmed in three priority groups: health-care workers, minors (parents will be notified if their child has been exposed in the school setting) and those who live or work within congregate or communal facilities.

Albertans who are not within these priority groups who have tested positive for COVID-19 will be asked to notify their own close contacts .

Event organizers will also still be directed to notify event attendees of an exposure and workplaces will be informed by AHS of a case and directed to send out the notification to employees.

AHS will continue to directly contact all positive cases of COVID-19 to notify them of the result, identify any priority contacts that AHS will notify and provide guidance on notification of their own contacts.

A close contact is anyone who was within two metres of a positive case of COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes, even if a mask was worn during that contact. A close contact is also someone who has had direct contact with bodily fluids of a person who has COVID-19 (e.g., was coughed or sneezed on), or who provided direct care for a person who has COVID-19.

A new webpage has been developed at www.ahs.ca/closecontacts to provide scripts and email/text content that Albertans can use when notifying their own close contacts.