Gov't eyes hiring of 50,000 contact tracers by July – DILG

The government is eyeing to hire around 50,000 contact tracers by July amid the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, the Department of the Interior and Local Government is still coordinating with the Department of Health on the new tracers.

"Sa ngayon kasi ang contact tracing team members natin ay nasa mga 35,000. Eh, ang kailangan natin is about 94,000, additional 94,000 ang kailang natin, so we start with 50,000," Año said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

"Kasi hanggat maari one is to 800 meron... Pero para sa akin naman, hindi necessary kasi hindi naman buong Pilipinas ang afflicted... dito na tayo mag-concentrate sa maraming cases, no?" he added

Año said that the hired contact tracers will have numerous benefits as well as a good salary.

"Ang salary nila is, I think, P20,000... tapos syempre contractual ito, no? Hindi naman ito regular kasi one year lang naman 'yung ating gusto tapos renewable na lang," he said.

Authorities earlier estimated that around 136,000 contact tracers were needed.

The Philippines has reported a total of 24,787 COVID-19 cases with 5,454 recoveries and 1,052 fatalities. — DVM, GMA News