Baguio taps cops in contact tracing for Covid-19

March 29, 2020 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong ordered on Wednesday the police to help the City Epidemiology Surveillance Unity (CESU) of the Health Services Office (HSO) to boost the city’s contact tracing system to help arrest the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid19).
Magalong has authorized the contact tracing of potential cases ahead of the release of the confirmatory test from the Department of Health-Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (DOH-RITM).
“We have to expedite early contact tracing to prevent those persons from infecting others. We should not wait for the confirmatory tests which take days because by that time it will be too late,” he said.
Magalong said the inclusion of investigators from the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) is needed due to their expertise in aiding patients to recall their whereabouts and the people they were with.
He also directed the city Management and Information Technology Division to develop a computer program as a database for patients and their contacts.
He said the present contact tracing system is working well but there are gaps that are now being addressed to make it more effective.
Magalong earlier has asked the DOH-Cordillera and health officials to be more vigilant in contact tracing of highly positive persons and not wait for the final confirmation of the RITM.
Once the “red flag” is on, the DOH should start its contract tracing to be able to be more effective in battling the spread of the disease after the death of one government official whose test result showing Covid-19 positive after the person died and four other persons under investigation.
Baguio has recorded two positive cases now, a 61-year old overseas Filipino worker from Italy and a 52-year-old person.
The city has ordered barangay officials of Loakan Proper, Loakan Liwanag, Loakan Apugan, Fort del Pilar, Kias and Atok Trail to escalate in the next 14 days the enforcement of the enhanced community quarantine.
The two positive cases are said to be from Loakan and Fort del Pilar.
(PNA)