Magalong admits 50,000 contact tracers to be hired under Bayanihan II not enough

September 9, 2020

Contact Tracing Czar and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong admitted on Wednesday that the 50,000 contact tracers to be hired under the Bayanihan To Recover As One Act are still not sufficient.

In a television interview, Magalong said under the Bayanihan II, which is up for President Rodrigo Duterte's signing, funds have been allotted for three months for 50,000 contact tracers of those who have exposure to confirmed coronavirus patients.

"But if you're going to ask me, is the number enough? Of course, not yet. That's why we really emphasize this what we call as volunteerism. So, we might need a psychologist, the people involved in HR (Human Resource), our health workers. We also have retired personnel involved in investigation, the graduates of technologies, these are the potential contact tracers," he said.

Congress has earmarked P5 billion for hiring 50,000 contact tracers under the Bayanihan II.

Magalong reiterated that under the ongoing contact tracing, the benchmark is 1 COVID-19 patient is to 37 individuals in urban areas while it is 25 is to 30 in rural areas.

But on the average, Magalong said the contact tracing is still at 1 is to 5, although there are areas which are 1 is to 12, 1 is to 18, 1 is to 20, or 1 is to 30, like one time in Tuguegarao City.

"It's very saddening that we're still far (from the target)," Magalong said.

He also urged  local chief executives to help in contact tracing in their respective areas.

The Department of Interior and Local Government said that there are 238,000 contact tracers nationwide and most of them are volunteers. Celerina Monte/DMS