County health director briefs commissioners on rising positivity, testing plans and school metrics

Paul Myers, director of the Alachua County Health Department, told the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 11 that the county has tested tens of thousands of residents and continues to add testing and contact-tracing capacity amid a rise in cases. He reported cumulative testing of roughly 72,000 people and noted recent two-week positivity in single digits with daily volatility.

Myers described testing turnaround times via LabCorp and Jacksonville labs (24'36 hours for county-ordered tests), and proposed a local rapid-testing contract for school situations so symptomatic students and exposed classmates can be tested with results within 24 hours. He said the county processed roughly 15,000 tests in two weeks with 976 positives (a two-week positivity ~6.3%), and that pediatric testing had identified 325 cases among children to date.

On contact tracing, Myers said epidemiology staff attempt interviews within 48 hours in all cases and currently reach 83% of cases within that window; he credited increased University of Florida staffing and new hires for improved performance. “When we do contact tracing, when we contact you, please be cooperative,” Myers said, urging symptomatic residents to stay home and follow public-health guidance.

Commissioners pressed for clear gating metrics for school re-openings; Myers said the Scientific Medical Advisory Committee would provide a set of metrics for classroom- and district-level actions and that he would deliver those metrics to the school superintendent for the school board'9s meeting. Commissioners approved biweekly reporting of testing and tracing metrics from the health department.

The board also discussed the county'9s plan to use CARES Act funds to contract for rapid testing, additional school nurses and contact tracers; staff reported that individual CARES applications (for residents) numbered about 2,300 with business applications beginning the following day.

Next steps: Myers will supply the superintendent and the commission with the advisory committee'9s school-level metrics; staff will finalize a subrecipient agreement and proceed with the local lab contract and biweekly reporting.