DILG needs 50,000 more contact tracers

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is in need of 50,000 more people who can help trace those who may have had direct contact with coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday, June 18.

“Given that there is still no vaccine or cure to Covid-19, the government needs to train and hire contact tracers who will break the chains of transmission of Covid-19 by identifying those who may have been exposed to the virus and monitoring them daily for 14 days,” he said.

Año said they submitted a proposal to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease to hire 50,000 contact tracers (CTs) nationwide as part of the government’s effort to contain the virus.

“While there is a need to hire 80,000 CTs, we just proposed to the IATF the hiring of only 50,000 since the LGU continues to increase the number of their CTs and there are also volunteers from the private sector,” he said.

“We are waiting for the approval of the IATF-MEID so that our LGUs can start hiring and training contact tracers in their localities. We need to be one step ahead and ready with the required number of contact tracers rather than be caught off guard when the need for contact tracers arises in case of a second wave,” he added.

Año said they are expecting to start the hiring by July.

Below are the qualifications set by the DILG for contact tracers:

* Preferably graduates of Bachelor’s Degree on Allied Medical Courses, other health-related courses, or Criminology

* Priority may be given to those applicants who have completed at least two years of college education in medical or criminology-related courses.

* Preferably have one year relevant experience and four hours relevant training.

Año said that at present, there are a total of 52,463 contact tracers nationwide who are part of the 3,347 local contact tracing teams.

He said the country needs a total of 135,000 contact tracers in order to achieve the ideal contact tracer to population ratio, which is at 1:800, as advised by the World Health Organization.

Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order Bernardo Florece Jr. said that as of June 15, a total of 87,092 out of 94,534 contacts (92.13 percent) have already been traced by the local contact tracing teams.

“It is contact tracers who advise the general contacts whether they need to immediately undergo home quarantine or be placed in isolation facilities,” Florece said.

He said the primary role of contact tracers is to monitor both symptomatic and asymptomatic close contacts on a daily basis for 14 days from the last point of exposure.

He said those who tested positive for the virus, either through rapid test or PCR tests, are referred to hospital facilities for proper treatment.

The DILG is the lead agency in contact tracing pursuant to IATF Resolution 25.

On April 24, 2020, the DILG issued memorandum circular 2020-077, directing LGUs to establish LGU Task Force against Covid-19, including the Contact Tracing Team.

Covid-19 enhanced contact tracing efforts is a joint effort of the Department of Health, DILG, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Bureau of Fire Protection. Data gathered during the contact tracing initiatives will be shared among these parties for proper Covid-19 testing and treatment with due regard to Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012. (SunStar Philippines)

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