Oneida County Health Department Seeks Volunteers to Assist in COVID-19 Response

With COVID-19 cases rapidly rising in Oneida County, the county Health Department is in need of volunteers to assist with daily COVID-19 tasks including contact tracing.

“Our Health Department has been working 24 hours a day seven days a week to keep this virus at bay, but we are at a crucial point in this fight,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “Cases are rising faster than ever before and we need everyone to do their part to keep our community safe.”

The Health Department is seeking volunteers to help make phone calls that range from notifying patients of positive test results to contacting the contacts to positive cases to trace exposures for quarantine.

All volunteers will be required to sign a HIPAA agreement and liability waiver. They must also complete the John Hopkins contact tracing training program which is available online. Volunteers will be asked to commit to at least one full day per week of in-person service at the County Office Building in Utica.

Those interested in volunteering, should send their name, contact information and availability to volunteer@ocgov.net.

“We continue to encourage all community members to remain vigilant against COVID-19 by taking the necessary precautions that we know help stop the spread: wear a mask, socially distance yourself and avoid gatherings,” said Director of Health Phyllis Ellis, BSN, MS, FACHE. “Flu season is upon us. Help protect yourself and your family and get the flu vaccine.”

Please remember, if you are not feeling well, stay home and isolate from others. If you have been tested because you do not feel well or because you have been exposed to COVID-19, stay home until results are received.

If results are positive for COVID-19, stay home until you hear from the county Health Department and be prepared to identify your possible contacts that might have been exposed. If you have been exposed to COVID-19 and believe you are a close contact, stay home. If you believe you have come in contact with a positive COVID-19 case, advise that person to identify you during the health department’s investigation as a contact to him or her.