Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 27) — The Department of Health will be asking assistance from local governments in seeking more contact tracers as the country continues fighting the highly contagious COVID-19 disease.
“Ito pong 95,000 na sinasabi, kagaya ng sabi niyo, amin pong hihingin ang tulong ng ating mga local government units para makahanap po tayo nitong ating mga contact tracers na ito,” Health Undersecretary and Spokesperson Ma. Rosario Vergeire said in a Laging Handa virtual briefing on Wednesday.
The country currently has 38,000 contact tracers, Vergeire reported, adding there should be one trace per 800 people according to set standards.
“So kung ating ic-compute po ito para po sa buong populasyon natin, we need around 126,000 contact tracers para mabuo po natin iyan,” explained the health official.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III previously proposed hiring workers displaced by the coronavirus pandemic as contact tracers to aid the country’s response against the highly contagious disease and provide jobs at the same time.
The Department of Health said the hiring of contact tracers is being done in partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and that minimum qualifications have been set for when they hire.
“These include being an allied medical professional, such as a nurse or at least a graduate or undergraduate of an allied medical course,” Vergeire said in a briefing Wednesday afternoon. “We have also suggested the following competencies to include data gathering, being able to interview cases and close contacts to gather data on travel history, and conduct health assessment, and they need to advocate public health because they need to provide health education messages as well.”
Vergeire added that the DILG may consider tapping barangay workers and social workers in support of the national response against COVID-19.
While the government is still discussing the exact salaries of contact tracers, Vergeire assured that these shall be in accordance with salary grades as provided by the Civil Service Commission.
Earlier this month, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the government will need billions to hire enough contract tracers to meet the one tracer per 800 people standard.
The coronavirus disease has infected more than 15,000 people in the country, with 380 new cases reported on Wednesday, bringing the tally of infected to 15,049. At least 3,506 have recovered from the illness, while 904 have died.
[Translation: So if we compute this for our entire population, we need around 126,000 contact tracers to accomplish the standard.]
[Translation: The 95,000 that was mentioned, like what you said, we will ask help from our local governments units in finding these contact tracers.]
