BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - Butte County Public Health's Communicable Disease Team is giving details to how it is training people more for contact tracing.

The team alone has 12 people who have completed a 20-hour online contact tracing course, but Public Health said its staff has over 40 people who have been trained and are ready to take on the job.

Lisa Almaguer said the team was expanded in early May, before the recent Mother's Day church exposure. The request came from Governor Gavin Newsom as part of the reopening and containment plan.

RELATED: Butte Co. Public Health investigation underway after religious congregation exposed to COVID-19 on Mother's Day

To help in contact tracing efforts, Butte County was one of the first to use the Text Illness Monitoring system offered by the state and has requested for another software to further help the department.

"Effective contact tracing is dependent on cooperative relationships with individuals, businesses and organizations," said Public Health. "In order to alert persons about their exposure to COVID-19, it’s important to have their names and a means to contact them."

RELATED: Pastor speaks out after churchgoer tests positive for coronavirus

For any communicable disease exposure, Public Health said it makes intensive efforts to identify and contact those who may have been exposed. As a last resort, the department sends a public message to identify and notify those who have been exposed.

"Contact tracing is an integral part of public health year-round and the BCPH tracing team continues to work seven days a week during the COVID response," said Public Health.

Currently, the training is only available for county and state employees.