Governor Newsom Launches California Connected – California’s Contact Tracing Program and Public Awareness Campaign

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Governor asks Californians to answer the call to help keep our families and communities healthy and on the path to reopening

 

SACRAMENTO – In the ongoing efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Governor Gavin Newsom today launched California Connected, the state’s comprehensive contact tracing program and public awareness campaign. As part of California Connected, public health workers from communities across the state will connect with individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and work with them, and people they have been in close contact with, to ensure they have access to confidential testing, as well as medical care and other services to help prevent the spread of the virus.

The state’s program is led by the Administration in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health, local public health departments and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Los Angeles (UCLA), which have launched a robust online training academy to develop a culturally competent and skilled contact tracing workforce.

“We are all eager to get back to work and play, and that’s why we’re asking Californians to answer the call when they see their local public health department reaching out by phone, email or text,” said Governor Newsom. “That simple action of answering the call could save lives and help keep our families and communities healthy.”

To prevent the spread of this virus, public health workers will connect Californians with confidential testing. They may also recommend medical care, and that individuals who could be infectious separate themselves from others in their home to protect those around them. Information provided to local public health departments is confidential under California law. Public health authorities will not share that information with outside entities. That information will be used for public health purposes only. Contact tracers will not ask for financial information, social security numbers or immigration status.

“A key step in stopping the spread of COVID-19 is quickly identifying and limiting new cases, across the diversity of our populations – and that’s exactly what this statewide program does,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, California Department of Public Health Director and State Health Officer. “We are bringing together the best minds in public health, academia and private industry to design a program that can help lower the risk for COVID-19 in all of our communities and keep us on the path to reopening.”

The California Connected public awareness campaign is getting off the ground this week with support from multiple private partners who have committed a total of $5.1 million in funding and in-kind resources to help educate all Californians, and underserved communities in particular. These partners include Jeff Skoll and his organizations (The Skoll Foundation, Participant, and Ending Pandemics), The California Health Care Foundation, The California Endowment, Twitter and Facebook, in addition to existing media partners engaged in the larger public awareness effort.

Beginning this week, Californians across the state will hear radio ads and see billboards, social media posts and videos in multiple languages encouraging them to answer the call to slow the spread of COVID-19. Public health workers across the state – identified on caller ID as the “CA COVID Team” – will call, text and email individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and people they may have unknowingly exposed to the virus.

The state plans to launch 10,000 contact tracers statewide as part of its plan to reopen California. More than 500 individuals have been trained under the new contact tracing program, and more than 300 are being trained this week.

To streamline and coordinate these efforts, Accenture, a leading global professional services company, is launching a data management platform developed by Salesforce and contact capabilities (phone calls, texts and emails) in collaboration with Amazon Web Service’s Amazon Connect. These organizations have already successfully implemented a large-scale contact tracing effort in Massachusetts.

For more information, visit CaliforniaConnected.ca.gov

A PSA from Director of the California Department of Public Health Dr. Sonia Angell can be found here. Watch the California Connected PSA in English here and in Spanish here. An infographic and other content can be found here.

 

Additional Resources:

UCSF Online Training Academy

UCLA Online Training Academy

 

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1 Comment

  1. Steve Joe warshauer

    One jar of Vicks vapor rub last a person 2 weeks in nose 5 full days next used Zink at the health food stores .2 be for sleeping 2 for full grown person with food.next fast effects from.heart attacks used any antacid or roll aid 2 .2 days as needed !only for full age persons .milk should be used under age of 10 years old !under age 10 or younger should only used a steamer of Vicks vapor rub with hot water near center of room./2days only not any longer !this cleans lungs from cov 19 it’s a dust mitw get into nose then drops into lower lungs building up a nest.tricks lungs too make flushing sticky too aid in nest /Vicks vapor rub slowykills off cov 19 allowing air making into blood white count too body.thus the feeling of heart attacks /dippy nose and small burning of nose is the first effects of cov 19.
    Wash fever with water clean water is best /all .sleepimg bedding should clean with soaps with normal salt kills cov 19 slowly from getting back on bedding.!next a mister spay bottalwith water down soap should be used from spAying too first of walls then down 5 days as needed /inside cars there pick up intake air vents this too needed cleaning that why so many got sick from the cars !cov 19 lives in the dust !*_I’ve had this and fight it off my self .many times next door didn’t clean and spear this many times //next most important parts all drains toilets homes and out side main drain Carey’s cov 19 pore water down bleach with added soap dish type best all this is very safe and none toxic too used !!see that was so hard too listen too to make this work home cleaning drain lead too all city sewer drains see this stop the added gas cov 19 can’t regrow /!!please shear these steps too anyone safes lives /more then just one happy 4th of July !*_

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