Jeepney drivers may be hired as contact tracers — Palace

The government is looking into the possibility of hiring jeepney drivers displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic as contact tracers as the country grapples with the health crisis.

In an interview on ANC on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said a suggestion to tap jeepney drivers is being considered given that the deployment of traditional jeepneys is “out of the question for now.”

“There’s a suggestion that they be employed as contact tracers, because we do need about 120,000 of them and there’s only about 30,000 employed so far,” he said.

“And we’re also considering the complete reconfiguration of the jeepney to comply with minimum health standards.”

Contact tracing aims to determine the people in close contact with an individual who is infected with COVID-19.

According to the World Health Organization, closely monitoring these contacts after exposure to an infected person will help the contacts to receive care and treatment, and will prevent further spread of the virus.

The Department of Health earlier said it will need P11.7 billion to support the government’s contact tracing efforts. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News