Chismosas as contact tracers? Non-disclosure protocol must be followed, says DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday assured the public that COVID-19 contact tracers in the Philippines are well-informed of the guidelines on which information to collect and disclose.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire vouched for this when asked about the reported suggestion of Central Visayas Police Regional Office director Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro to tap gossipers for the task.

"Ito naman siguro ay sinasabi lang ng PNP para makatulong para sa kanilang ginagawang paghihikayat sa mga tao na magkaroon pa ng mas maraming contact tracers," she told reporters in a virtual interview.

"Tatandaan natin, mayroon naman tayong mga pamantayan para magkaroon tayo ng contact tracers and 'yung mga policies kung ano lang ang dapat nating ibigay or i-disclose na information o kokolektahin nating impormasyon sa ating mga kababayan," she added.

Vergeire said that the COVID-19 information being disclosed by DOH are anonymized, pursuant to the guidelines on tracing close contacts of infected patients.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government is leading this endeavor with the help of 73,985 contact tracers nationwide, according to the DOH official.

The number of this force could further be increased if the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act materializes, Vergeire said.

Last May, the DOH said the ideal number of contact tracers in the country is 126,000 to achieve the 1:800 ratio.—AOL, GMA News