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Harris County contact tracers running into roadblocks as fewer people cooperate

Those who are willing to help are no longer producing large numbers of contacts.

HOUSTON, Texas — Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in Texas, and that has those in charge of monitoring cases on high alert.

By now we know the basics on how to protect ourselves from coronavirus: wash your hands often, wear a face covering and practice social distancing.

Contact tracers with the Harris County Public Health District work as detectives investigating and tracking people who have tested positive. Their goal is to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

“That uptick is due to multiple components. It’s due to the reopening of the city, events like Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, of course the mass gatherings of the protest that we’ve seen throughout the nation. We’re having graduations. We are having family reunions, things that we do in the summer time," said Dr. Dana Beckham, director for the office of science, surveillance and technology at the Harris County Public Health District. 

She said the county has more than 300 contact tracers.

As numbers go up in Harris County, Dr. Beckham said there’s enough contact tracers to address the cases coming in.

"At this present time, I would not deem that the tracers are overwhelmed," Dr. Beckham said.

However, their jobs are getting harder. She said people are now more reluctant to provide information.

“I think it’s a combination of things,” Dr. Beckham said. “Some of them are just used to it, and this is a new normal, and everyone is going to get it, so what’s the use?”

She added others don’t trust the government.

Those who are willing to help are no longer producing large numbers of contacts.

“We would see them producing an average of 20 contacts per case. Now it has drastically decreased to about one to four contacts per case,” Dr. Beckham said.

Their jobs can be challenging, but they’re a crucial tool in stopping the spread of the virus.

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