Contact Tracing Resources for Health Departments

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

• Considerations for Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in K-12 Schools and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)
  This guidance combines the previously published Interim Guidance for Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in K-12 Schools and Interim Guidance for Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). It addresses implications of updated information on identifying close contacts, testing for COVID-19, vaccination, mask use, isolation, and quarantine for K-12 school and IHE settings.
• 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.
• Public Health Activity Guidance
  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.
• Public Health Guidance for Community-Related Exposure
  CDC’s recommendations for community-related exposures to COVID-19.
• Training, Evaluation, and Monitoring Guidance for Health Department Supervisors and Training Leads pdf icon[370 KB, 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.
• Overview of Testing for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
  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.
• Case Investigation and Contact Tracing: Part of a Multipronged Approach to Fight the COVID-19 Pandemic
  CDC’s basic principles of contact tracing to stop COVID-19 transmission.
• COVID-19 Contact Tracing Training and Resources
  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 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Supervisor or Lead Training: Guidance, Resources, and Sample Training Plan pdf icon[395 KB, 35 Pages]
  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.
• Training and Workforce Development for COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing pdf icon[118 KB, 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[417 KB, 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[80 KB, 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[292 KB, 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[216 KB, 2 Pages]
  This document is a daily temperature/symptom log for people who are considered close contacts to monitor their health.
• COVIDTracer and COVIDTracer Advanced
  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 Template pdf icon[95 KB, 4 Pages]
  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 Template pdf icon[83KB, 4 Pages]
  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 Template pdf icon[77 KB, 3 Pages]
  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 Template pdf icon[84 KB, 4 Pages]
  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[224 KB, 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.
  Español pdf icon[224 KB, 2 Pages] | Chinese pdf icon[315 KB, 2 Pages] | Korean pdf icon[287 KB, 2 Pages] | Marshallese pdf icon[235 KB, 2 Pages] | Vietnamese pdf icon[238 KB, 2 Pages]
• Case Investigation Workflow pdf icon[603 KB, 1 page]
  This document is an infographic of the case investigation workflow for COVID-19.
• Contact Tracing Workflow pdf icon[510 KB, 1 Page]
  This document is an infographic of the contact tracing workflow for COVID-19.
• Considerations for the Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Workforce: Enhancing Access to COVID-19 Vaccination Services
  This page describes how case investigators and contact tracers can provide vaccination support.

CDC communication resources

• COVID-19 Contact Tracing Communications Graphics
  Download free contact tracing graphics to share on your website, social media account, or other COVID-19 education materials to educate your community about case investigation and contact tracing.
• 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
• COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing – CDC’s Role and Approach pdf icon[202 KB, 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: Do your part to keep your family, friends, and community safe. pdf icon[1.31 MB, 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.
  Chinese pdf icon[1.31 MB, 2 Pages] | Español pdf icon[1.53 MB, 2 Pages] | Korean pdf icon[957 KB, 2 Pages] | Marshallese pdf icon[1.03 MB, 2 Pages] | Vietnamese pdf icon[1.25 MB, 2 Pages]
• How To Talk To Your Close Contacts pdf icon[93 KB, 2 Pages]
  This resource encourages people who have COVID-19 to notify their close contacts so that they can quarantine at home and get tested.

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[146 KB, 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[107 KB, 3 Pages]
  (Please reference the Guidelines for the Implementation and Use of Digital Tools to Augment Traditional Contact Tracing pdf icon[147 KB, 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[390 KB, 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.

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

• 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[321 KB, 18 Pages]external icon
  • Health care provider Q&A about reimbursement for counseling pdf icon[165 KB, 2 Pages]external icon
  • Provider-patient counseling talking points pdf icon[161 KB, 1 Page]external icon
  • Provider counseling checklist pdf icon[362 KB, 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[123 KB, 11 Pages]external icon
  Source: Resolve to Save Lives
• Criteria for determining when it is safe to loosen social distancing measures  pdf icon[102 KB, 2 Pages]external icon
  Source: Resolve to Save Lives
• Criteria for determining when strict mitigation measures must be reapplied  pdf icon[106 KB, 2 Pages]external icon
  Source: Resolve to Save Lives
• Box it in Strategyexternal icon
  Source: Resolve to Save Lives
• Contact Tracing Overview pdf icon[224 KB, 6 Pages]external 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[653 KB, 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. [149 KB, 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[241 KB, 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[2 MB, 23 Pages]external icon
  Source: Partners in Health
• National Coronavirus Response: A Road Map to Reopening pdf icon[5.6 MB, 20 Pages]external icon
  Source: American Enterprise Institute
• 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 Paper pdf icon[1.25 MB, 11 Pages]external icon
  Source: Public Health Informatics Institute
• Digital Tools for Contact Tracing Tool Assessment Report pdf icon[1.10 MB, 37 Pages]external 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[97 KB, 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