DILG-Central Visayas holds contact tracing training

Photo from DILG-Central Visayas
Photo from DILG-Central Visayas

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Central Visayas held the first online training course on contact tracing in the region Wednesday, July 15, to enhance competencies of local government units (LGUs) to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

The training aims to provide the fundamentals and core principles of contract tracing, formulate strategic plans, effectively mobilize the members of the contact tracing teams, and provide the tools to effectively investigate and trace coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases and contacts.

The speakers in Wednesday's training were World Health Organization Regional Operations Pillar Lead/Epidemiologist Rammell Eric Martinez, who talked on the Basic and Core Principles of Contact Tracing, and Department of Health-Epidemiology Bureau Health Program Officer I April Ocampo, who oriented the participants on the use of Covid Kaya application that will help speed up and simplify the encoding of data on contract tracing.

DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order Bernardo Florece Jr., who is in charge of the contact tracing efforts in the country, said this capacity development intervention by the DILG aims to address the glaring capacity gaps in contact tracing and support the contact tracing teams in local governments.

Leocadio Trovela, DILG-Central Visayas director, also thanked the local chief executives for their dedication and strong determination to keep their communities safe, highlighting contact tracing as a vital tool in the war against Covid-19.

Lawyer Ian Kenneth Lucero, DILG-Central Visayas Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division chief and DILG-Cebu City officer-in-charge, said if a community is unable to identify the close contacts of patients and ensure they do not interact with others, the virus is likely to rapidly spread within the locality, thus calling for stricter mitigation measures to contain the virus.

“With contact tracing as our tool, let us take the lead to help stop the spread of Covid-19. Let us break the chain of infection,” he said.

Among those who joined the training were the contact tracing teams of Cebu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, Consolacion, Minglanilla, Danao City, City of Naga, Bogo City, and Bohol; punong barangays of Cebu City and Mandaue City; and personnel of Cebu City Health Department, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Cebu City Police Office.

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella, who delivered the closing message, assured the public of the support of the City Government. (WBS with PR)

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