The Springfield-Greene County Health Department says because of an overwhelming number of new COVID-19 cases reported each day, it has started to prioritize its efforts to investigate cases.
Health Director Katie Towns says investigators are prioritizing cases for children under the age of 12 who haven’t yet been authorized to receive vaccine.
Towns says as capacity allows, case investigators will also prioritize cases in workplaces or facilities that become a hotspot for new virus infections.
All other people who test positive for COVID-19 will get a text message with a form that needs to be completed to document the timeline of illness and close contacts.
Those people are strongly encouraged to submit the form to the health department and immediately notify people with whom they’ve had close contact.
For those folks who test positive but don’t have access to text messaging or internet, they can call the COVID-19 Call Center at 417-874-1211 to request a callback from a case investigator.
The health department also says it will no longer provide personalized release from isolation letters for COVID-19 patients to provide employers, schools, etc.
Those needing documentation can download a Criteria for Release from Isolation memo at health.springfieldmo.gov/qi