The Pennsylvania Department of Health is reporting 39,179 COVID-19 cases statewide for the week of Sunday, Jan. 24 through Saturday, Jan. 30. Of those cases reported within that week, 20 percent, or 7,836 cases, had a case investigation started within 24 hours of receiving the positive report. Public health professionals will continue calling to complete the case investigation after the 24-hour period. An additional six percent, or 2,351 cases, had a case investigation started within 48 hours.

7,934 people, or 20 percent of cases, were successfully contacted by a public health professional statewide.

In addition to the traditional case investigations, 325 contact tracers assisted in the process. Contact tracers made 12,937 calls to reach 64 percent or 8,227 individuals. Of the 7,030 that were sent forms, 43 percent, or 3,018 were returned. 10,952 individuals, or roughly 28 percent of cases, who successfully completed a case investigation this week.

After the initial case investigation is complete, contact tracing begins. Within the same time period of January 24 to January 30, there were 1,509 contact tracing staff working with local and county health entities, partner organizations and the Regional Response Health Collaboration Program within the Department of Human Services as well as volunteers from Co-County Wellness in Berks County and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. These staff monitored 5,761 contacts who were identified during the case investigations.

Between January 24 and January 30 there have been:

• 7,918 contacts have been processed for areas where PA DOH has jurisdiction; 
• 5,904 people, or 75 percent of the total contacts identified, have been effectively reached to communicate their quarantine status and offer ongoing symptom monitoring; 
• 1,191 people, or about 23 percent of the total contacts, were not reached; and
• 491 were still in the process of being contacted.