Spread linked to social events

Officials stress need to cooperate with contact tracers

While Montgomery County residents appear to be reducing the spread of COVID-19, officials said any spread that is occurring can be linked to social events.

“Most of the viral spread that we are seeing in Montgomery County continues to be through social events such as parties, family gatherings and vacations. And then what happens is the people that are exposed and infected at these gatherings go on to expose large groups of others through school, through day care, through sports and through work,” county Commissioners’ Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh said during a recent news briefing.

Health officials continue to monitor and document exposures through several youth sports teams.

“This continues to be an issue. This is happening because young people are becoming infected at social events or at home and then participating in sports, sometimes, before they are aware that they’re positive,” Arkoosh said.

“We’re not yet seeing a lot of spread within sports teams due to exposure at practice or games. But this may also be a result of quick actions taken by schools and youth sports leagues to work with the county as soon as the exposure is known to cancel events and quarantine players and coaches,” Arkoosh added.

“So while we’re not seeing a lot of spread, it is resulting in large groups of young people having to quarantine. Since May, the county has quarantined over 130 people as a result of an exposure at youth sports events,” Arkoosh revealed.

As fall approaches and residents try to return to school, “in some fashion or another,” officials hope to minimize the quarantine of young people, Arkoosh said.

“As a reminder, quarantine is for a period of 14 days. If you are a direct exposure to someone and you’re asked to quarantine, it is for 14 days. Even if you test negative before that 14 days is up, while that’s very personally reassuring, that does not mean that you can leave quarantine, because we have seen individuals become positive on day 12, day 13 and day 14. That 14 day quarantine number is there for a reason,” Arkoosh said.

“The consequences of the quarantine are impactful on somebody’s life and so we really want to limit those exposures as much as possible,” Arkoosh said.

Health officials are also monitoring and tracking several day care exposures to determine whether spread is occurring within day care facilities.

“Since May, the county has quarantined over 50 children and staff as a result of day care exposures,” Arkoosh said.

It’s critical, Arkoosh said, that residents cooperate if contact tracers reach out to them.

Contact tracing involves identifying those with who an infected person

has been in close contact so they can self-quarantine to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“These conversations are confidential and nonjudgmental but give us absolutely critical information to fighting this disease,” said Arkoosh, adding about 96 percent

of individuals contacted to date have cooperated with the county’s tracers.

“However, we are still having trouble reaching some individuals and we are leaving people voicemails and we call multiple times, but they’re not always calling us back. So, please if you receive a voicemail from one of

our contact tracers please call them back. It is really so important to keep a lid on this virus that we speak to every person who tests positive and then every one of their direct contacts. That’s how we beat this thing,” Arkoosh added.

Overall, officials said, residents continue to reduce

the spread of COVID-19 in the county.

The overall positivity rate, taking into account all county residents who were tested for the virus between March 13 and Aug. 18, was 2.82 percent, according to the latest data.

Health officials believe having a positivity rate

less than 5 percent indicates the county is controlling the spread of the virus and keeping it suppressed. To keep the positivity rate below 5-percent, Arkoosh stressed residents should continue to abide by all mask wearing, handwashing and social distancing recommendations.