The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-7 organized the first online training course on contact tracing in the region to enhance competencies of local government units to prevent onward spread of COVID-19 and break the chain of transmission.
The training aimed 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 COVID-19 cases and contacts.
The speakers 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.
“Throughout this harrowing experience, I have been inspired by your dedication and perseverance in responding to this crisis with care. Allow me then to recognize and honour the contributions you offered to all our fellow Filipinos,” he told the participants through a video message.
DILG-7 Director Leocadio Trovela 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.
“We are not anymore blinded with those who need to be isolated and the areas that would be needing intensified implementation of community quarantine. Lives will be saved in the end as affected people will be moved to a health facility and containment measures are better implemented,” he said.
DILG-7 Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division Chief and DILG-Cebu City Officer-in-Charge Atty. Ian Kenneth Lucero 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 barangay 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 as this will redound to the people of city.