DILG deploys over 800 contact tracers to Iloilo

ILOILO – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) deployed a total of 810 contact tracers to the province’s 42 towns and one component city to track and manage close contacts of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

Na-deploy na ini sila and they were assigned in different municipalities,” Teodora Sumagaysay, DILG-Iloilo director, told Panay News.

Contact tracing is the process of identifying, assessing and managing people exposed to a disease to prevent onward transmission.

When systematically applied in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak, contact tracing is an essential public health tool that could help break the chain of transmission of this infectious disease.

According to Sumagaysay, the deployment began in the first week of November.

Ang ginbasehan sa pag-distribute amo ang number of cumulative close contacts nga na-record sa kada banwa kag number of barangays sang kada banwa,” Sumagaysay explained.

These contact tracers will earn a minimum of P18,784 per month in a contract of service status.

Among their responsibilities are the following:

* conduct interviews, profiling, and perform an initial public health risk assessment of COVID-19 cases and their identified close contacts

* refer the close contacts to isolation facilities

* conduct enhanced contact tracing in collaboration with other agencies and the private sector

* conduct daily monitoring of close and general contacts for at least 14 days and perform such other tasks in relation to the COVID response

According to Sumagaysay, more contact tracers were sent to areas having the biggest number of barangays and close contacts. 

As of Nov. 10, Iloilo province had a total of 2,308 COVID-19 cases, 530 of which recovered, 1,707 recovered and 71 died./PN

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