Filtered By: Topstories
News

DILG now in charge of contact-tracing for COVID-19 – Nograles


The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had taken the lead in the government’s contact-tracing efforts in a bid to arrest the spread of COVID-19, Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a morning briefing on Saturday.

“For this purpose, the Department of Health (DOH) and the DILG are directed to enter into a data-sharing agreement (DSA) in accordance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act,” Nograles added.

The IATF earlier tasked the Office of Civil Defense to take charge of the government’s contact-tracing efforts.

The transfer of leading contact-tracing efforts to the DILG from the OCD came after Interior Secretary Eduardo Año ordered LGUs to increase the number of contact tracing teams (CTT) who would identify individuals who had previous exposure to confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Año said a CTT in each LGU would be led by the chief of police, who would, in turn, be assisted by the city or municipal health officer.

Its staff will include personnel from the local police; the city or municipal health office; the Bureau of Fire Protection; an officer from the city or municipal disaster risk reduction management office; a city or municipal barangay health worker; members of the barangay health emergency response team; and an officer of the barangay public safety unit. — DVM, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT