New online tool available for messaging close contacts of COVID-positive tests

There is a new online tool to automatically send text messages to close contacts of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Anyone in Alberta who gets a positive COVID test result is asked by Alberta Health Services to immediately visit www.ahs.ca/closecontacts and click on the COVID-19 “close contact tool” and enter the names and phone numbers of their known close contacts.

Once reviewed by AHS, a text message will be sent to those people.

The message will inform them of their exposure and instruct them to isolate immediately for 14 days. It will also provide a link to further information on isolation requirements, testing options, symptoms and supports available. The name of the positive case will not be disclosed in the text messages.

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has confirmed that it received a “privacy impact assessment” from AHS regarding the close contact web portal.

A privacy impact assessment is required under section 64 of the Health Information Act. It describes how a practice or collection of individually identifying health information may affect an individual’s privacy and what privacy or security controls are in place to mitigate the risks to health information.

In March, due to the pandemic, the OIPC requested “at the very least” that it be notified of new systems that have potential privacy implications.

AHS continues to notify by email or phone all close contacts of positive cases in health-care workers, minors (parents will be notified if their child has been exposed in a school setting), and individuals who live or work within congregate or communal facilities.

School-related contacts will continue to receive email notification from AHS, and workplaces and organizers of events of 10 or more attendees will also still be required to notify the appropriate staff and attendees.

Close contacts are defined as anyone who was within two metres of a positive case of COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more of cumulative contact, without consistent and appropriate use of personal protective equipment.

In addition to this new online tool, AHS is also looking to hire 425 additional people on contact tracing team.