Contact Tracing Resources for Health Departments
Resources for Conducting Contact Tracing to Stop the Spread of COVID-19
- Options to Reduce Quarantine for Contacts of Persons with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Using Symptom Monitoring and Diagnostic Testing
- CDC Guidance for Expanded Screening Testing to Reduce Silent Spread of SARS-CoV-2
- Answer the Call – Contact Tracing Video (Español)
- Prioritizing Case Investigations and Contact Tracing for COVID-19 in High Burden Jurisdictions
- Prioritizing COVID-19 Contact Tracing – Mathematical Modeling Methods and Findings
Resources from CDC
CDC guidance for COVID-19 may be adapted by state and local health departments to respond to rapidly changing local circumstances.
CDC guidance documents
- Interim Guidance for Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in K-12 Schools
This guidance is intended to help administrators of K-12 schools plan for the development and implementation of COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing efforts in their schools. This guidance highlights potential collaboration between health officials and K-12 school administrators to facilitate effective case investigation and contact tracing. - Interim Guidance for Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)
This guidance is intended to help administrators of IHEs plan for the development and implementation of COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing efforts in their schools. This guidance highlights potential collaboration between health officials and IHE administrators to facilitate effective case investigation and contact tracing. - Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in Non-healthcare Workplaces: Information for Employers
This document provides tips and considerations for how employers can partner with state, tribal, local, or territorial (STLT) health departments and work with their employees in these COVID-19 response efforts. - Interim Guidance on Developing a COVID-19 Case Investigation & Contact Tracing Plan
This CDC interim guidance document is intended to assist state, local, territorial and tribal health departments develop jurisdictional plans for the implementation and enhancement of COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing efforts. Content will be updated as new information is available. - Handling Non-COVID-19 Public Health Activities that Require Face-to-Face Interaction with Clients in the Clinic and Field in the Current COVID-19 Pandemic
CDC guidance for the management of public health workers engaged in public health activities that require face-to-face interaction with clients in clinic and field settings. - Community-Related Exposures
CDC’s recommendations for community-related exposures to COVID-19. - Travel-Associated Exposures
CDC’s recommendations for travel-associated exposures to COVID-19. - CDC Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President’s Plan for Opening America Up Again pdf icon[PDF – 62 pages]
This document briefly summarizes CDC’s initiatives, activities, and tools in support of the Whole-of-Government response to COVID-19. - Training, Evaluation, and Monitoring Guidance for Health Departments pdf icon[PDF – 16 pages]
This document will help supervisors and training leads to effectively develop and assess case investigators’ interviewing skills. - Prioritizing Case Investigation and Contact Tracing for COVID-19 in High Burden Jurisdictions
This new guidance further refines prioritization recommendations and presents emerging modeling data regarding timeframes for effectiveness. - Prioritizing COVID-19 Contact Tracing – Mathematical Modeling Methods and Findings
This document presents emerging modeling data regarding timeframes for case investigation and contact tracing effectiveness. - Options to Reduce Quarantine for Contacts of Persons with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Using Symptom Monitoring and Diagnostic Testing
CDC currently recommends a quarantine period of 14 days. However, based on local circumstances and resources, options to shorten quarantine are available as acceptable alternatives. - CDC Guidance for Expanded Screening Testing to Reduce Silent Spread of SARS-CoV-2
The updated guidance is meant to assist health departments in decision making and considerations for groups to be considered for expanded screening testing with the aim of slowing asymptomatic and presymptomatic community transmission.
CDC contact tracing implementation guides and tools
- Technical Assistant Note: Transferring COVID-19 Contact Tracing Records via Epi-X
The document is a supplement to CDC’s Health Departments: Interim Guidance on Developing a COVID-19 Case Investigation & Contact Tracing Plan. The resource provides information on transferring COVID-19 cases and contacts between health jurisdictions. - Principles of Contact Tracing
CDC’s basic principles of contact tracing to stop COVID-19 transmission. - General Contact Tracing and Case Investigation Training Modules
Trainings for public health professionals interested in becoming a contact tracer or case investigator, as well as those who already serve in these roles and are seeking to improve their knowledge. - COVID-19 Contact Tracing Training: Guidance, Resources, and Training Plan
These sample training plans include training topics that may be helpful for state and local public health jurisdictions to consider when designing their own training plans for COVID-19 contact tracers, case investigators, and team leads. - CDC-funded Training for the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Workforce pdf icon[2 pages]
The CDC COVID-19 Response and the CDC Division of STD Prevention are supporting two cooperative agreements to train the COVID-19 contact tracing workforce. - Notification of Exposure – A Contact Tracer’s Guide for COVID-19
This is guide provides suggested communication approaches and steps for public health staff to create a script for contact tracers to tell people that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. - Key Information to Collect During a Case Interview
The purpose of this document is to provide key information that should be covered in the case interview. - Talking with the Patient – A Case Investigator’s Guide to COVID-19
The intent of this document is to provide suggested communication strategies for COVID-19 case interviews. - Health Department Checklist: Developing a COVID-19 Case Investigation & Contact Tracing Plan pdf icon[PDF – 6 pages]
This checklist is a supplement to CDC’s Health Departments: Interim Guidance on Developing a COVID-19 Case Investigation & Contact Tracing Plan and is a tool that can assist health departments in developing a comprehensive plan. - Contact Tracing: A Community Engagement Checklist for Health Departments pdf icon[PDF – 3 pages]
Keep these tips in mind when working with community organizations on contact tracing.
Españolpdf icon - Self-Isolation and Self-Quarantine Home Assessment Checklist pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
This checklist is to help case investigators and contact tracers in assessing a person’s ability to safely isolate or quarantine at home, and the need for additional social support. - Daily Temperature/Symptom Log for Close Contacts pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
This document is a daily temperature/symptom log for people who are considered close contacts to monitor their health. - COVIDTracer
A spreadsheet-based tool that allows state- and local-level public health officials and policy makers to compare between three different contact tracing/monitoring strategies. - Case Investigator COVID-19 Response Job Description Templatepdf icon
A job description template for health departments to quickly scale up their staff to response to COVID-19. - Communicable Disease Investigator COVID-19 Response Job Description Templatepdf icon
A job description template for health departments to quickly scale up their staff to response to COVID-19. - Contact Tracer COVID-19 Response Job Description Templatepdf icon
A job description template for health departments to quickly scale up their staff to response to COVID-19. - Supervisor or Team Lead for Case Investigation and Contact Tracing COVID-19 Response Job Description Templatepdf icon
A job description template for health departments to quickly scale up their staff to response to COVID-19. - 3 Key Steps to Take While Waiting for Your COVID-19 Test Results pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
This resource will help explain what people should do while they are waiting for a COVID-19 test result to help them prepare for contact tracing.
Españolpdf icon | Chinesepdf icon | Koreanpdf icon | Marshallesepdf icon | Vietnamesepdf icon - Case Investigation Workflow pdf icon[PDF – 1 page]
This document is an infographic of the case investigation workflow for COVID-19. - Contact Tracing Workflow pdf icon[PDF – 1 page]
This document is an infographic of the contact tracing workflow for COVID-19.
CDC communication resources
- Answer the Call – Contact Tracing Video
This 1-minute long animation video with voiceover informs the public about contact tracing and why they should answer and respond to a call from a contact tracer.
Español - Overview of Contact Tracing
A brief summary of contact tracing and what to expect - Contact Tracing – CDC’s Role and Approach pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
This document provides an overview of CDC’s role and approach to contact tracing for COVID-19. - COVID-19 Contact Tracing Communications Toolkit for Health Departments
This toolkit provides health departments with sample talking points, public service announcements, graphics, social media posts and more for communicating about contact tracing for COVID-19. Also available in Spanish. - Contact Tracing Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Check out CDC’s answers to commonly asked questions about COVID-19. - Contact Tracing Steps Infographic pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
This document is an infographic that explains the steps of contact tracing for people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 and people who may have been around someone with COVID-19.
Español | Chinese | Vietnamese | Korean | Marshallese
Find additional communication resources for health departments including toolkits, videos, print resources, and more.
CDC information on digital tools for COVID-19 contact tracing
- Guidelines for the Implementation and Use of Digital Tools to Augment Traditional Contact Tracing pdf icon[PDF – 7 pages]
This document is an update and expansion on previously published evaluation criteria. - Preliminary Criteria for the Evaluation of Digital Contact Tracing Tools for COVID-19 pdf icon[PDF – 3 pages]
(Please reference the Guidelines for the Implementation and Use of Digital Tools to Augment Traditional Contact Tracing pdf icon[PDF – 7 pages] for updated information.) This document contains preliminary criteria that define minimum and preferred characteristics of digital contact tracing tools to help health departments overcome one or more obstacles in the COVID-19 contact tracing workflow. - Contact Tracing: Using Digital Tools pdf icon[2 pages]
This technology guide serves as a companion to the case investigation and contact tracing workflows and describes how and where technology can assist in the processes.
Refer to the Interim Guidance on Developing a COVID-19 Case Investigation & Contact Tracing Plan for information about digital contact tracing tools.
Resources from federal and state organizations
Content describing non-CDC tools on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to indicate endorsement, actual or implied, of the tools. Additionally, information on this site is provided “as is,” for users to evaluate and make their own determination as to their effectiveness.
Guidelines and published journal articles
- Guidelines for Opening Up America Againexternal icon
Source: White House - Opening Up America Again: Testing Overviewpdf iconexternal icon
Source: White House - Opening Up America Again: Testing Blueprintpdf iconexternal icon
Source: White House - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiative encourages counseling patients being tested for COVID-19 about isolation, quarantine, and contact tracing to slow the spread of the virus. The following materials support this initiative:
- CMS Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) Response to the Public Health Emergency on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pdf icon[PDF – 18 pages]external icon
- Health care provider Q&A about reimbursement for counseling pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]external icon
- Provider-patient counseling talking points pdf icon[PDF – 1 page]external icon
- Provider counseling checklist pdf icon[PDF – 1 page]external icon
- COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Data Protection Can Go Togetherexternal icon
Source: National Institutes of Health - Epidemic Models of Contact Tracing: Systematic Review of Transmission Studies of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and Middle East Respiratory Syndromeexternal icon
Source: National Institutes of Health
System of records notices
- Quarantine- and Traveler-Related Activities, Including Records for Contact Tracing Investigation and Notification under 42 CFR Parts 70 and 71, HHS/CDC/CCIDexternal icon
Source: Department of Health and Human Services
State and local governments
- How contact tracing works in Georgiaexternal icon
Source: Georgia Department of Public Health
Resources from federal and state organizations
Content describing non-CDC tools on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to indicate endorsement, actual or implied, of the tools. Additionally, information on this site is provided “as is,” for users to evaluate and make their own determination as to their effectiveness.
Guidelines and published journal articles
- Guidelines for Opening Up America Againexternal icon
Source: White House - Opening Up America Again: Testing Overviewpdf iconexternal icon
Source: White House - Opening Up America Again: Testing Blueprintpdf iconexternal icon
Source: White House - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiative encourages counseling patients being tested for COVID-19 about isolation, quarantine, and contact tracing to slow the spread of the virus. The following materials support this initiative:
- CMS Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) Response to the Public Health Emergency on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pdf icon[PDF – 18 pages]external icon
- Health care provider Q&A about reimbursement for counseling pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]external icon
- Provider-patient counseling talking points pdf icon[PDF – 1 page]external icon
- Provider counseling checklist pdf icon[PDF – 1 page]external icon
- COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Data Protection Can Go Togetherexternal icon
Source: National Institutes of Health - Epidemic Models of Contact Tracing: Systematic Review of Transmission Studies of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and Middle East Respiratory Syndromeexternal icon
Source: National Institutes of Health
System of records notices
- Quarantine- and Traveler-Related Activities, Including Records for Contact Tracing Investigation and Notification under 42 CFR Parts 70 and 71, HHS/CDC/CCIDexternal icon
Source: Department of Health and Human Services
State and local governments
- How contact tracing works in Georgiaexternal icon
Source: Georgia Department of Public Health
Private sector, non-governmental organizations and academia
Guidance and tools
- Contact Tracing Workforce Estimatorexternal icon
Source: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, George Washington University, and the National Association of County and City Health Officials - A Coordinated, National Approach to Scaling Public Health Capacity for Contact Tracing and Disease Investigationexternal icon
Source: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials - Roadmap to Recovery: A Public Health Guide for Governorsexternal icon
Source: Governor’s Association and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials - US COVID-19 Contact Tracing Playbookexternal icon
Source: Resolve to Save Lives - Contact Tracing Protocol pdf icon[PDF – 11 pages]external icon
Source: Resolve to Save Lives - Criteria for determining when it is safe to loosen social distancing measures pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]external icon
Source: Resolve to Save Lives - Criteria for determining when strict mitigation measures must be reapplied pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]external icon
Source: Resolve to Save Lives - Box it in Strategyexternal icon
Source: Resolve to Save Lives - Contact Tracing Overviewpdf iconexternal icon
Source: Resolve to Save Lives - Contact Tracing Staffing Calculatorexternal icon
Source: Resolve to Save Lives - A National Plan to Enable Comprehensive COVID-19 Case Finding and Contact Tracing in the US pdf icon[PDF – 16 pages]external icon
Source: Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Center for Health Security and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials - Recommendations for local jurisdictions to slow and stop the transmission of COVID-19external icon
Source: Johns Hopkins School of Public Health - Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Contact Tracing Instructions for Non-healthcare Settings. pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]external icon
Source: North Carolina Division of Public Health - NACCHO Position Statement on building COVID-19 Contact Tracing in Health Departments to Support Reopening American Society Safely pdf icon[PDF – 6 pages]external icon
Source: National Association of County & City Health Officials - Partners in Health COVID-19 Guide: Testing, Contact Tracing and Community Management pdf icon[PDF – 23 pages]external icon
Source: Partners in Health - National Coronavirus Response: A Road Map to Reopening pdf icon[PDF – 20 pages]external icon
Source: American Enterprise Institute - COVID-19 Contact Notification /Information pdf icon[PDF – 6 pages]external icon
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services - NACCHO COVID Response Effortexternal icon
Source: National Association of County and City Health Officers
Training
- Live Searches of Contact Tracing Trainingexternal icon
Source: Public Health Foundation - Customized COVID-19 Contact Tracing Curriculumexternal icon
Source: Public Health Foundation - National Network of Public Health Institutesexternal icon
Source: National Network of Public Health Institutes - Making Contact: A Training for COVID-19 Contact Tracersexternal icon
Source: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials/National Coalition of STD Directors - ASPPH Curated List of COVID-19 Related Training Coursesexternal icon
Source: Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health - ASTHO COVID-19 Resourcesexternal icon—Association of State and Territorial Health Officers
Source: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials - Disease Intervention Specialist Certificate Videoexternal icon
Source: National Coalition of STD Directors - COVID-19 Command Centerexternal icon
Source: National Coalition of STD Directors - Contagious Conversations: Episode 15: A Crash Course in Contact Tracingexternal icon
Source: CDC Foundation - Contagious Conversations: Episode 16: Raising Your Voiceexternal icon
Source: CDC Foundation
Information on digital tools for COVID-19 contact tracing
- Steps for Public Health to Plan for the Use of the Apple|Google Exposure Notification Framework: A White Paperpdf iconexternal icon
Source: Public Health Informatics Institute - Digital Tools for Contact Tracing Tool Assessment Reportpdf iconexternal icon
Source: Public Health Informatics Institute - Contact Tracing Mobile Apps for COVID-19: Privacy Considerationsexternal icon
Source: Cornell University - Review of mobile application technology to enhance contact tracing capacity for COVID-19 pdf icon[PDF – 1 page]external icon
Source: Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Center for Health Security - A system for identifying people at risk of COVID-19 infection by using the Bluetooth signals sent between cell phonesexternal icon
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology: A privacy first approach to contact tracing - TestAndTrace.comexternal icon
Source: Test and Trace - State Approaches to Contact Tracing during the COVID-19 Pandemicexternal icon
Source: National Academy for State Health Policy
Find specific COVID-19 guidance from all CDC web pages and documents
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