Philly Officials Worried About Contact Tracing Cooperation

PHILADELPHIA — Health officials in Philadelphia worry that some residents are not cooperating with the city's coronavirus contact tracing efforts as higher case numbers are reported this week.

During a new conference Thursday, Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said while a majority of residents who tested positive for the coronavirus and were contacted by contract traces cooperated, some are not being truthful.

Farley said a total of 718 new cases were identified last week, 653 cases of which were handled by Health Department contact tracers.

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Of those 653 people, 424 or (65 percent) were reached by city contact tracers. Farley said about a third of those 424 people said they did not have any contacts with others or did not name who they were in contact with.

Some people who reported no contact or did not give names of those they came in contact with were not being truthful and nor cooperating, Farley said.

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He went on to say some Philadelphians have fear and mistrust regarding the virus and contact tracing.

Additionally, 4 percent of the 424 people reached refused to participate in contact tracing efforts, according to Farley.

To those who are not cooperating, Farley said the health department is "only here to help" and encouraged anyone reached by contact tracers to cooperate in an effort to contain the coronavirus.

"The process is working well for a lot," Farley said, "but not everybody."

Of the those who cooperated, they reported about three contacts. Farley said 77 percent of the contacts reached agreed to quarantine themselves.

Forty-one percent of those reached believe they knew who they got the infection from (typically household member) and 18 percent traveled out of state, Farley said.

On Thursday, Farley reported 185 new cases, bringing the city's total to 31,910 since the first case was reported March 10.

Thursday's high figure is partly attributed to 3,719 test results reported Wednesday. Those tests had a positivity rate of 5 percent.

No new deaths were reported Thursday, keeping the city's overall death toll at 1,709.