The government's pandemic task force has approved the use of automatic contact tracing through a Smart Messaging System as the country deals with the fast-rising number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the country.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement following the announcement of the shift of the National Capital Region-plus (NCR-plus) bubble to the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until the end of the month.
In a virtual presser on Sunday, Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved on April 10 the recommendation of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to use automatic contact tracing through Smart Messaging System to further strengthen and improve the use of StaySafe.PH System.
The StaySafe.PH System is the official social distancing, COVID-19 health-condition reporting, and contact tracing system of the government.
To ensure interoperability and integration of all contact tracing applications integration in the StaySafe.PH System, Roque said there will be an initial beta-testing, together with the proposed messaging, of the Smart Messaging System in Pasig City due on May 1, 2021.
There will also be beta-testing in the consortium of Antipolo and cities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, Valenzuela due on May 1, 2021, with access to the COVID-19 Document Repository System (CDRS).
According to Roque, the IATF adopted the recommendation on the immediate completion of the transfer of ownership to the Department of Health (DOH) of the CDRS and the immediate integration of the CDRS with the StaySafe.PH and other local contact tracing systems and applications.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has been directed to be the overall lead in the implementation.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), on the other hand, is directed to lead in the national interoperability, while the DOH is directed to ensure integration of the StaySafe.PH System with the CDRS.
The DILG was further directed to immediately coordinate and convene with DICT and DOH to formulate the necessary action plan with specific timelines and targets.
Meanwhile, Roque said the IATF ratified the proposal of the Department of Tourism to construct free and temporary public walk-in and drive-thru vaccination centers in the vacant portion of the lots located in the Nayong Pilipino property in Parañaque City.