Hill County Health Department still looking for more contact tracers

At the Hill County Health Board’s weekly COVID-19 update, Public Health Director and Health Officer Kim Larson said the county health department is trying to get it’s hands on as many contact tracers as possible as the rate of new cases in the county remains high.

Larson said The Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity at George Washington University calculates the contact tracing workforce needed in different areas based on analysis of data like positivity rate and county infection rate and Hill County’s calculated need is far higher than it’s current workforce of 14 full and part-time contact tracers.

“153 is what we would need to stay on top of everything, so I’m just trying to get as many as I can,” Larson said.

She said Hill County, excluding Rocky Boy, had 243 people in quarantine as Friday, and a total of 267 active cases and 25 deaths.

She said the county is currently seeing an infection rate of 141.05 people per day per 100,000 residents.

The health department update Sunday evening listed 251 active cases, with 22 hospitalized.

Unfortunately, Larson said Friday, a lack of manpower at the department combined with the recent surge of cases has made it impossible for the department to get in touch with people who’ve tested positive or their contacts with the immediacy they want.

She said this past week also saw a rise in people ignoring the orders of the health department.

“We are seeing some people who are blatantly disregarding our isolation and quarantine measures,” she said.

Larson said isolation and quarantine orders are sent to everyone who tests positive, or has been deemed a close contact, but when they are ignored law enfacement serves the orders to them.

However, she also said, the number of complaints Hill County has received from the state about non-compliant businesses has dropped considerably.

Larson said her department only received a handful of complaints last week, a lot of them about people not wearing masks in businesses.

Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson thanked Larson for the time and effort of her and her team at the department especially with restrictions that were recently put in place by the department to try to slow the spread of the virus.

“Every situation is different, and I commend you for trying to be fair and consistent in keeping everyone’s health and welfare first,” Peterson said.

Hill County Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator Amanda Frickel said she recently received supplies for the hospital from the state, and she’s been doing research with the state about how to get more rapid testing supplies. Unfortunately, things don’t look promising due to continued high demand.

“The problem is, the manufacturers are unable to keep up with the demand, not just for Montana and Hill County, but everywhere,” she said.

Frickel said she would continue of monitor the situation on the state level.

She also said she’s working on developing a personal protective equipment cache for the county, but she’s still evaluating the county’s needs for now.

The next COVID-19 update will be Friday at 1 p.m.