Rapid COVID-19 Testing and On-site Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in an Underresourced Area of Salt Lake City, Utah, December 2020-April 2021.

ABSTRACT

This case study describes how we paired free SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen testing with on-site case investigation and contact tracing at a drive-through site in an underresourced area of Salt Lake City. Residents of this area had lower rates of employment and health insurance and higher rates of poverty than in the Utah general population. People were given an option to remain on-site and wait until their test results were ready. If a vehicle occupant received a positive test result, the case investigation occurred on-site; contact tracing with the other vehicle occupants was also initiated. People were provided resources to support isolation and quarantine. Bilingual staff who spoke Spanish were incorporated into the workflow. From December 2020 through April 2021, public health staff administered 39 587 rapid tests; 4094 people received a positive test result and 1133 stayed for on-site case investigation. More than half (60.5%) of people with a positive test result who agreed to stay for on-site case investigation were Hispanic or self-reported belonging to a non-Hispanic racial minority group (American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or other racial identities). Pairing rapid antigen testing with on-site case investigation and contact tracing is feasible and improved the timeliness of case investigation by ≥1 day. On-site vaccination services were later integrated. Future emergency responses might consider assisting underresourced communities with on-site services that provide convenient and accessible public health interventions. By providing dependable and reliable services, we were able to achieve buy-in and become a consistent resource for those in the community.