20% Of COVID-19 Positive Individuals Not Cooperating With Montgomery County Contact Tracers, Officials Say
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- Montgomery County officials say they are having trouble finding people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. That's because some people with COVID-19 are not cooperating with contact tracers.
The County Commissioners' office says while most people cooperate, around 20% don't -- a number that could be hurting your neighbor.
There are a number of reasons someone may not work with Montgomery County's contact tracing team, Board of Commissioners Chair Dr. Val Arkoosh says.
"That they may be blamed for potentially exposing someone else. Some are worried their employer might take action against them," Arkoosh said. "Some people frankly need to go to work."
Understandable reasons, she says. But not helpful.
"This thing is so contagious. This is why we're having such a hard time stopping it. No one should feel like they did anything wrong," she said.
This conversation comes after an Upper Merion youth sports coach tested positive for the virus.
He had been coaching while unknowingly infectious and officials say he also attended a graduation party with over 100 guests.
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Now identified, the team and coach are quarantining.
But according to the county, that coach has not fully cooperated with contact tracers, so as rumors spread, they cannot accurately inform others if they've been exposed.
"If we aren't told by the person who is positive who was at the party we can't confirm or deny because then we could be IDing that person," Arkoosh said.
Arkoosh says they won't do that.
Right now Montgomery County has a positivity rate below 4%. Arkoosh said that's an ideal number for a return to school as well.
Arkoosh said her office has not had any conversations about the possibility of subpoenaing people who are not cooperating, but this is a problem that will require everyone's cooperation to solve.