Oklahomans advised to do own contact tracing By: Paul Monies Oklahoma Watch December 18, 2020 Oklahoma spent approximately $4.3 million to rent and staff its contact tracing operation at Shepherd Center through October. The state has closed that Oklahoma City location, which opened in June with approximately 400 employees. (Photo by Paul Monies/Oklahoma Watch) As active coronavirus cases remain above 30,000 in Oklahoma, the state Health Department says its contact tracers are having to prioritize calls and will advise most people with confirmed cases to do their own contact tracing. In addition, the state has shuttered a contact tracing call center in Oklahoma City paid for by federal CARES Act money. A related contract for additional temporary contact tracers continues but the Oklahoma State Department of Health is looking for additional funding to keep those positions in the new year. Weekly reports from this fall show just how far behind contact tracers and case investigators were getting as cases continued to rise.