Because of constrained personnel time, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (Philadelphia, PA, USA) adjusted its COVID-19 contact tracing protocol in summer 2021 by prioritizing recent cases and limiting staff time per case. This action reduced required staff hours to prevent each case from 21-30 to 8-11 hours, while maintaining program effectiveness.
Keywords: COVID-19; Pennsylvania; Philadelphia; SARS-CoV-2; cases averted; contact tracing; coronavirus disease; resource efficiency; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; staff hours; viruses; zoonoses.