The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) gets the name of all residents who tests positive for any communicable disease, including Coronavirus, and loads that person’s information, including their address and phone number provided at the lab where testing occurred, into a state database called the Massachusetts Virtual Epidemiologic Network, or MAVEN.
The person’s local board of health (local public health department) sees that case and decides whether to investigate it or send the case to the statewide Contact Tracing Collaborative (CTC), run by Partners In Health (PIH). Massachusetts has contracted with PIH to manage the contact tracing operation.
In Weston, a Public Health Nurse on our COVID-19 Response Team calls the person who has tested positive. We will discuss:
- Any symptoms you may be experiencing
- Any questions about the virus that you have
- The need to isolate from other people for at least 10 days after the first sign of symptoms or your positive test
- The names of recent close contacts which can include family members, co-workers, fellow students, etc.
We will then attempt to call each close contact and tell them they were likely exposed to the coronavirus. We will not reveal your name when making these calls. You are encouraged to reach out to your own close contacts as well if it is situationally appropriate. We will help these close contacts arrange to be tested. Each close contact is asked to remain at home, in quarantine, for 14 days.
The Local Department of Public Health or the CTC will be in contact with you and will tell you when you can stop isolating yourself. For most people, the required isolation period is 10 days, but may be longer if your symptoms persist, if you develop severe illness requiring hospitalization or are immune compromised.