Local health officials are offering more guidance in how potential or confirmed COVID cases should handle quarantine and contact tracing efforts for possible exposures.

Executive Director Dave Remmert in a statement Tuesday says quote - "We seem to be getting a lot of calls from area residents related to contact tracing efforts of our agency. Our contact tracing efforts are keeping up with cases, but often there is a lag in the reporting from testing centers around us. We can't begin contact tracing until we have a case to report."

The Health Department advises all cases to isolate at home and for all suspected contacts to quarantine at home while waiting for contact tracing efforts to begin. The Health Department has noted they will be in contact and Remmert stresses there is no need to call the health department as they will be in contact as soon as test results are submitted to their system.

As local and state COVID cases continue to spike, officials remind the public to continue to keep physical distance, wear a mask in public and wash your hands frequently. 

Remmert points out, quote - "We are seeing a great number of cases and contacts in area residents stemming from birthday parties and a recent wedding. Now is not the time for these sorts of events. In each circumstance, we've had cases that had as many as 30 people named in close contacts who were forced to quarantine."