Health Department cuts back on contact tracing

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)- Health officials in Virginia say they’ll likely have to scale back on contact tracing because coronavirus transmission levels are rising so high.

The Virginia Department of Health announced changes to its guidelines that prioritize contact tracing efforts to key segments of the population. The changes mean that contact tracers may not be able to reach all Virginians who were recently exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Local health departments are now prioritizing their time to talk to the people most at risk. Those include people living in nursing homes and prisons as well as people who have compromised immune systems.