DILG-7 orients new contact tracers

CEBU, Philippines —  The Department of the Interior and Local Government 7, in a bid to break the human to human transmission of COVID-19 virus, has equipped its newly-hired contact tracers with the sufficient knowledge and overview on how contact tracing works.

“Contact tracing is one of the vital strategies in our fight on this pandemic. It determines who is going to be treated, swab and tested. What you will do in the coming months is very important. We all know this is a risky job, but more than the risk is your love for your neighbors, community and country,” said DILG-7 Director Leocadio Trovela during the recently concluded virtual general orientation.

In the nationwide scale, the DILG has hired 50,000 contact tracers to augment the existing teams of local government units in the country and to ramp up the contact tracing efforts as it is seen effective in mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

In Central Visayas, DILG-7 employed close to 5,000 individuals to be in the frontline in the region’s massive attempt to break the chain of transmission.

“Contact tracing never stops until the last infection,” said Richard Navarrosa and Harold Doroteo, technical coordinators of the World Health Organization-Philippines.

Doroteo discussed the basic principles and aspects of correct contact tracing that include policies, guidelines, ethical and legal issues, and tracing and management, among others.

Cebu City Mayor Labella, who is the chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council, has attributed the “flattening of the curve” in the city to the effectiveness of contact tracing, bringing down the new cases to a single-digit in the past days.

“I would like to express our support to DILG-7 and to the program as contact tracing is our way of fighting COVID-19,” the mayor said.

DILG-7 Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division chief and DILG Cebu City officer-in-charge, Atty. Ian Kenneth Lucero, thanked the contact tracers for joining in the fight against the unseen enemy.

“Let us break the chain of human-to-human transmission through effective and efficient contact tracing efforts. Let us beat this virus together. Be the game-changer,” Lucero said.

DILG-7 regional focal person on contact tracing, Atty. Gerlyn Mae Sayson, also explained the administrative requirements and terms of reference provided in the Contract of Service.

Police Captain Jefferson Sinfuego and Police Lieutenant Rogelio Malenab of the Cebu City Police Office also shared the techniques and strategies on contact tracing implemented in the city.

Police Regional Office-7 Director Albert Ignatius Ferro also asked the contact tracers not to forget to protect themselves while exerting their job.

“You are our first defense against the virus,” Ferro told the contact tracers.

Ferro recommended to the DILG-7 to create a Regional Emergency Operation Center dedicated to contact tracing.

Dr. Eugenia Mercedes Can~al of the Department of Health 7 said that one way to stop the transmission is to do the contact tracing in a precise and correct manner as she salute and thank the contact tracers for dedicating their time on this endeavor.

Aside from the general orientation, the contact tracers will also be oriented by their respective LGUs before their actual deployment, DILG-7 said in a statement. — GMR (FREEMAN)