Checklist

1. Risk communication and community engagement

• Develop a strategy for risk communication and community engagement to support a successful contact tracing initiative.

  • Contact tracing can only succeed if people accept it as an effective measure and participate when appropriate.

  • The SECURE framework, outlined below, offers an effective risk communication and community engagement strategy. (See Vital Strategies Draft Communication Guidance for COVID-19 Contact Tracing for more information)

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• 1.a Support contact tracing corps and skilled contact tracers with training and other needs.

  • Contact tracers need to be skilled, experienced, and well-trained for the risk communication issues specific to COVID-19.

  • This will ensure that people who engage with contact tracers feel supported and protected and receive empathetic, culturally appropriate engagement in an accessible language.

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• 1.b Engage community leaders.

  • Identify people that communities trust, build relationships with them, and enlist them as validators of your contact tracing messages.

  • This may include faith and ethnic group leaders, community leaders, business leaders, leaders within vulnerable populations, teachers, or public officials, among others.

  • Jurisdictions should engage community leaders by:

    • Establishing a mechanism for feedback to refine messaging and tactics

    • Sharing communication plans and approaches

    • Sharing official fact sheets and other communication tools

    • Encouraging them to participate in press briefings

    • Encouraging and supporting them to share official public health notifications, recommendations and other messages with their communities. Community leaders can use existing communication channels (such as social media and email newsletters); new channels can be established as appropriate

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• 1.c Conduct public information campaigns, using mass media, web sites and digital media to explain contact tracing and its impact..

  • Engage journalists and consider journalist trainings to ensure journalists understand the program and are reporting factual and timely information.

  • Use mass media and digital communication campaigns to build awareness on how contact tracing is helping us all get to a better tomorrow.

  • Official health department social media handles, such as on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, among others, should be used to amplify messaging.

  • Consider communications campaigns that explain the contact tracing and testing process and how personal information is protected.

  • Consider running an “answer your phone” campaign that shows the importance of answering calls and engaging honestly with contact tracing staff.

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• 1.d Use risk communication principles.

  • Express empathy often. COVID-19 is scary, and spokespeople should acknowledge that. People may find it invasive to consider sharing information about who they’ve been in contact with. Be sure to empathize with the public about the downsides of contact tracing, while reminding people of the benefits to their family, neighbors, friends and communities.

  • Communication that expresses empathy, is credible, provides anticipatory guidance, promotes action, and shows respect will help build trust.

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• 1.e Respect confidentiality.

  • Communication on every level needs to address and allay public concerns about privacy and confidentiality.

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• 1.f Evaluate and improve communication efforts

  • Assess what’s working and what’s not working to improve communication messages and strategies.

2. Communications and notifications

• 2.a Determine messages and channels for relaying messages to cases, contacts and health care providers.

  • Support cases and contacts while in isolation and quarantine to ensure they have the information needed to stay safe and adhere to public health recommendations.

    • Share new information on the COVID-19 situation in the area.

    • Reiterate and update on health and safety recommendations.

    • Link to information sources, including official websites, press briefings and hotline.

    • Consider using email or text messages for sharing messages (or digital apps as relevant).

    • Provide fact sheets, FAQs and other educational resources

  • Target messages to specific audiences, including COVID-19 cases and contacts, high-risk communities such as long-term care facilities and group homes, and health care providers and hospitals.

  • Make materials available in multiple languages according to local needs.

  • Send notifications to health care providers when there are changes to procedures or policies relating to provision of health care, laboratory testing, treatments, or vaccines.

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• 2.b Consider establishing messages and procedures for community notifications of exposure.

3. Communication coordination

• Establish a centralized mechanism to manage communication.

  • Depending on the size of the jurisdiction and communication needs, a small team may be needed to support the various activities and coordinate with external stakeholders (e.g., community leaders, media outlets).

  • The centralized mechanism should be linked with health department staff responsible for monitoring and analyzing the epidemic science and situation. This will ensure communications are accurate and up-to-date.

4. Advocacy Epidemiology

• Develop a plan and materials for advocating for the necessary resources for a contact tracing program.

  • Prepare materials that make the case, and advocate for funding with policymakers to support contact tracing activities.

Implementation tools:

• Vital Strategies: Draft Communication Guidance for COVID-19 Contact Tracing​

• Key messages

• Communication and social media campaigns

• Fact sheets

• Guidance while in self-isolation and self-quarantine

• Sample advocacy briefing for policymakers

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