Warren County Health Services has created a new online portal for Warren County residents to report positive "at-home" COVID-19 tests remotely. The portal, found here, went live Monday morning Jan. 10.
“People have been reporting via phone…It’s jamming up the phone lines here,” said the county’s Director of Public Affairs, Don Lehman. The county health department needs to keep the phone lines more clear for other uses such as talking to doctors and public health professionals, he said.
Health Services estimates 70 to 75 positive home tests are being reported daily via phone at this point, Lehman said.
Warren County residents who receive a positive COVID-19 "at-home" rapid antigen test result on an FDA-approved at-home test are asked to report their information on this HIPAA-compliant web portal to streamline response amid a record surge of new COVID-19 infections, press materials say. The county also urges people to call their health care provider and people with whom they have been in close contact.
Reporting cases promptly helps determine the level of care needed.
The person reporting the test will need to provide a phone number, home address and email address as well as test date and date that COVID-19 symptoms began.
They will receive an email confirmation and be provided with guidelines and Warren County COVID-19 resources. A follow-up phone or email contact from Warren County Public Health or New York State staff will occur as well, press materials say.
“If testing positive through a home-test, please isolate for five days and wear a tight-fitting mask for an additional five days afterward when venturing into public,” the press materials say.
Lehman said the Department of Health Services realizes that some people may not report for fear of being “in the system” or into forced isolation. If so, Lehman said, “We ask them to do the right thing” and isolate themselves.
Those who receive a positive test on an at-home test but do not have Internet access should report their test result to Warren County Health Services via phone at 518-761-6580.