Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) — The country’s contact tracing efforts practically became non-existent over the past month, with data gathered usually limited to a COVID-19 patient’s family members.
During a hearing of the House Health Committee on Tuesday, Contact Tracing czar and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the country’s contact tracing efficiency deteriorated in March.
Data shared by Magalong showed the ratio of contact tracing efficiency nationwide went down from an average of 1:7 early this year to 1:3 this month.
Magalong said this means contact tracing is usually limited to a coronavirus-positive patient’s household.
“For the past four weeks nakita niyo na talagang nag-deteriorate nang malaki and look at the average. From 1:7—this is the national average—from 1:7, it went down to 1:3. Ibig sabihin when you have a contact tracing efficiency ratio of 1:3 to 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, ibig sabihin ang naco-contact trace lang diyan ay members of the household. So technically, walang contact tracing diyan,” he said.
[Translation: For the past four weeks, we saw that it (contact tracing) mostly deteriorated and look at the average. From 1:7—this is the national average—from 1:7, it went down to 1:3. When you have a contact tracing efficiency ratio of 1:3 to 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, it means only members of the household are only being contact traced. So technically, there’s no contact tracing there.]
Magalong cited local government units’ failure to use the tools given to them as reason for poor contact tracing. There are also times when data on a COVID-19 patient’s close contacts are not properly encoded.
“Marami po tayong (There are many) local government units that are not using their data collection tool despite the fact that we have already shared this with them and we have already uploaded this in their computers, laptops during their actual training. Hindi pa rin nila ginagamit (They have yet to use those),” he said.
Adding to the slowdown in contact tracing, Magalong said, is the failure of some LGUs to collaborate with the police and military for contact tracing even if they’re trained for the job.
Magalong said the national government is currently conducting training for contact tracers within the NCR Plus bubble, as well as Regions XII and V.
Issues with Stay Safe, the government’s official contact tracing app, are also being resolved, he added.
