The two separate but similar resolutions aimed to employ contact tracers for strategic tracking, halting and containing the possible local transmission of COVID-19, both approved, are already in the level of the concerned local government units.
This was confirmed to Palawan Daily News by Board Member Ryan Maminta, main author of the said two resolutions.
It may be recalled that last June 2 session, Maminta filed Resolution No. 176-20, urging the 23 municipalities to seek and employ qualified individuals to be engaged as contact tracers in their respective areas and Resolution No. 179-20 urging Gov. Jose Alvarez, thru Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID), to seek and employ qualified individuals to become contract tracers for same stated purposes.
“Naipaabot na [ito sa mga munisipyo]. Dapat magawa na nila. Sa part naman ng province, positive ang tugon ni Gov. JCA at naglabas na siya ng executive order to that effect and last Tuesday, we both approved an Ordinance Adopting the DOH Guidelines on Contact Tracing,” BM Maminta further stated.
The said resolutions were approved in first and final reading by the members of the Provincial Board and were co-authored by all members.
“Contact tracing is a very vital aspect of our fight against COVID-19. We will be able to win this battle if we will aggressively enforce contact tracing protocols and strategies. Hence, employment and deputation of contact tracers in the level of community is timely and imperative,” BM Maminta pointed out.
Maminta added that contact tracing is a public health method which is performed by tracking down individuals who might have come across or have been linked by a person who was recently diagnosed to be positive of the disease so that those who have been identified as such shall quarantine themselves and prevent further spread.
“It must be noted that contact tracing has been widely credited as a very effective method in fighting the SARS in 2004, after the same outbreak infected more than 8,000 individuals around the world, only 800 of which was recorded to have died. It is likewise proven that contact tracing as one of the strategy of ensuring minimum public health standards in community level is greatly effective in our present fight against COVID-19,” the local law maker pointed out,” he explained.
BM Maminta reiterated that hiring contact tracers or qualified health workers, preferably those serving as community volunteer health workers, is a necessary requisite for the expedition exercise of disease control measure and a key strategy for preventing further spread and containment of COVID-19.
He further stated that the Province of Palawan aims to ease the worries of its constituents with regard to the means to deal with the outgoing pandemic and to do so, the utilization and participation of component municipalities is indispensable.
“COVID-19 created a global health crisis that compelled the enforcement of strict quarantine measures to contain and stop further transmission of the virus limiting social interaction, transportation and movement of people and subsequently give rise to the ‘New Normal,’” he said.