Mark Carter, Cabinet for Health and Family Services policy advisor, also updated Kentuckians on contact tracing in Kentucky and how they can protect themselves, their families and their community.

Carter highlighted important successes: Over 1,600 contact tracing staff in the state have now completed 215,000 daily check-ins with COVID-19-positive Kentuckians to monitor symptoms and provide support. They have also contacted more than 47,000 people identified as contacts potentially exposed to the virus.

However, he also emphasized the need for greater public cooperation and renewed federal funding.

“The public health strategy for contact tracing depended on broad public participation – cooperating with the local health departments when a tracer calls, wearing masks, social distancing and testing,” Carter said. “We simply haven’t had enough participation from the public and the resulting surge has overwhelmed contact tracing capacity.

“Another challenge is that federal funds from the CARES Act have made the statewide contact tracing and tracking information management system and surge staffing possible, but Congress has not taken any action on additional stimulus legislation to date. Currently, Kentucky and all other states are required to use all CARES Act funding by Dec. 30, 2020.”