Palace admits contact tracing is government's weakest point in COVID-19 response

Malacañang on Thursday admitted that the country's contact tracing efforts is its weakest link in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said he is wondering why almost a year after it was launched, the StaySafe.PH app is still not being widely used.

"We are managing it very well, but the [contact] tracing, the StaySafe app, nahihilo na ako, hindi ko maintindihan bakit hindi natin ginagamit ito (I don't understand why we still don't use this)," Roque said.

"Napakaimportane ng tracing para ma-isolate ‘yung close contacts at maiwasan ang pagkalat ng sakit (tracing is very important so that we can isolate close contacts of infected individuals)," he added.

StaySafe.PH app is a technology requiring individuals to take a photo of a QR code for access and filling out contact tracing forms via their mobile phones.

Roque made the response amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country, particularly in Metro Manila which has 9,000 active COVID-19 cases and is considered the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.

"This is an area that needs to be tremendously improved. I will have to admit, dito tayo pinakamahina (this is our weakest point)," Roque said.

Roque said the country has not been able to keep up with the standard set by contact tracing czar and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalog where 32 individuals in close contact with a patient infected with COVID-19 should be tracked and tested.

"I don't understand why the Stay Safe app is not being implemented," Roque said.

"We really need to automate [contact tracing]."

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the country is at 44,470 so far.

The government said last year it will require the use the StaySafe.PH app for businesses establishments and public transport in order to continuously reduce the number of COVID-19 cases in the country and at the same time jumpstart the economy.

Information technology experts, however, expressed concern on the use of StaySafe.ph over data privacy issues. —KBK, GMA News