As cases of COVID-19 continue to spike across the region, local health departments are changing their internal processes to deal with the increase in numbers.

The Kentucky River District Health Department is changing the way they contact trace. Officials with the department say they don’t have enough staff to continue the detailed contact tracing they have implemented, so they now must rely on people who test positive to reach out to their own contacts.

Scott Lockard, director of the KRDHD, said that his organization has literature for people looking for the correct procedures.

”We have two one-pagers that provide excellent guidance for what anyone should do. ‘Should I be exposed to COVID-19, I need to quarantine as a contact or should I get a diagnosis that they have tested positive for COVID-19′,” Lockard said. “Provide them instructions on what they need to do to self-isolate and then give them guidance on how to reach out to their contacts themselves direct them to our Facebook. “

Lockard also says a high-risk contact is anyone you have been within six feet of for 15 minutes or longer that has tested positive for COVID-19.

“Our case numbers are over 2,600 cases now in the District, so by far that is where we are having the most cases on a daily basis we’ve seen since the pandemic began,” Lockard added

He says that if you do test positive, do not wait until you hear from the health department to start your 10 day self-isolation.

“A lot of people are under the false assumption that if I test negative as a contact then I can go ahead and do whatever I need to do and that is not the case. We still need to quarantine for the full 14 days,” Lockard said.

Lockard is emphasizing that this is not the time for a big family Thanksgiving and is encouraging others that we can still show thanks in a safe way.