Oklahoma phases out contact tracing

The Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma City-County Health Department are transitioning away from universal case investigation and contact tracing. 

The announcement of this transition, which includes Tulsa County Health Department, came in January, with the decision based on an effort to focus on a more strategic approach to outbreak investigations and targeted case investigations. 

“Tools such as at-home testing kits, updated isolation and quarantine guidance and the self-serve case investigation portal have provided Oklahomans the opportunity to be the driver of their own personal health and the health of their family and community,” said OSDH and OCCHD in a joint statement from health officials.  

With the transition from traditional contact tracing phasing out, the future of the UCO COVID-19 dashboard remains in question. 

“Right now, the OSDH transition has little impact on our dashboard,” said Adrienne Nobles, vice president for communications and public affairs. 

Nobles said UCO is “pulling numbers of positive PCR tests for Oklahoma County and the state, which is different from universal case investigation and contact tracing.”

Nobles also said there have been no discussions on discontinuing the dashboard, and that the website reflects positive cases among UCO’s students, faculty and staff. As for the possibility of no longer receiving positive cases from the state or county, Nobles says the university will “keep an eye on it.”