The local government of Valenzuela City has started operating its coronavirus disease (COVID-19) contact tracing center to strengthen its response against the pandemic.
The Mega Contact Tracing Center is manned by 100 personnel, including data encoders, contact tracers and disease surveillance officers that will operate 24/7.
Aside from this, a separate team of swab test schedulers and doctors are also integrated into its daily operations.
A team conducting COVID-19 swab tests on suspected patients will still be stationed at the Valenzuela City ALERT Center.
The Mega Contact Tracing Center "upholds a 'contactless' COVID-19 contact tracing scheme as contact tracers are in-charge of all incoming and outgoing calls and queries through email."
"They are also to conduct calls to COVID-19 contacts with the objective of getting all the substantial information on their exposure including getting the number of household members," the city government said.
Registered nurses will work as disease surveillance officers and be assigned on field work assisting and endorsing patients who need hospital referral.
Before their deployment, the city's Health Office conducted a full day training and orientation to make sure that the “credo” of a contact tracer "will be practiced." It includes proper guidelines on notification of exposure, verification, confidentiality and privacy, while also keeping in mind to be sympathetic at all times.
"Itong trabaho na 'to kelangan ng emosyon para makuha ang tamang impormasyon mula sa mga pasyente. Isipin niyo yung patient niyo ay kapamilya niyo. Kung paano niyo gusto tra-tuhin kung kayo ‘yung pasyente, ganoon ninyo sila tra-tuhin ," Mayor Rex Gatchalian reminded the contact tracers during their orientation.
As of August 12, the city reported 3,005 confirmed cases with 1,584 recoveries and 86 deaths.