The Pennsylvania Department of Health is urging the public to help out and cooperate.

During a media briefing on Thursday, COVID-19 case investigation and tracing was the main topic of discussion.

Contact tracing and testing Director Michael Huff joined department of health secretary Dr. Rachel Levine on the call.

“Case investigation - I like to think of it as case fact finding instead of investigation,” Huff said. “Investigation perhaps has a stigma to it, when we’re really looking at the case in finding out all of the information we need.

“Case investigation as well as contact tracing are vital public health tools used in the process of supporting patients with suspected or confirmed infection. In case investigation, public health staff workers help the patient recall everyone with whom they’ve had close contact within the time where they may have been infectious. Public health staff begin contact tracing by warning those exposed individuals or contacts of their potential exposure as rapidly and sensitively as possible.”

In a press conference earlier this week, Levine said only 21% of people during the week of Oct. 25-31 answered the question about whether or not they frequented in a large business or large gathering.

“To protect patient privacy, contacts are only informed that they may have been exposure to the patient with the infection,” Huff said. “They are not told the identity of the patient who may have exposed them. It is completely confidential.

“Contacts are provided with education, information and support to understand the risk - what they should do to separate themselves from others, monitor themselves for symptoms and illness and the possibility that they could spread the infection to others even if they do not feel ill.”

Huff said those contacts are encouraged to stay home and maintain social distance from each other - at least 6 feet and until 14 days from their last exposure with an infected person.

“It is our collective responsibly to work toward the common good,” Levine said. “It is our collective responsibility to protect our communities. … We can control the spread of COVID-19, but it requires each one of us to do our part. Even if you might think that you will not be effected or impacted by the virus, it’s important to think about those who can get extremely sick or tragically pass away from COVID-19.”

Levine said 2,080 individuals have been hospitalized - a number that has been steadily climbing and increasing since Monday. The statewide positivity-percent is 7%, which is up 1% from last week.

Fifty-two counties have percent-positivity above the 5% threshold, which is 12 more counties than last week.

“COVID-19 does not discriminate and nobody is invincible when it comes to the potential negative effects of this virus,” Levine said.

When asked about school closures in counties at the substantial level, Levine reiterated similar information as she did earlier this week.

“Our guidelines have been available for months now,” said Levine. “We are continuing to look at those. It is possible that we might adjust those in the future depending on the case counts that we see. But right now, they are in place.

“If you are in the substantial range, we want you to consider whether remote is best for your school district. These are recommendations, they are not orders, because there is of course local control. As the governor has pointed out many times, this is really up to the school district and superintendent in that locality to make that decision.”