QC to hire contact tracers

The Quezon City government has announced it is immediately hiring additional contact tracers, who will be provided accommodation, transportation and hazard pay among other incentives for their job.

The Quezon City local government unit is in need of 30 field contact tracers, which are open to nurses, medical technologists and allied health professionals including midwives, according to a 24 Oras report by Saleema Refran on Thursday.

The positions are also open to those who finished four-year health related courses underboard, while applicants with experiences working at a hospital or a clinic have better chances for the job.

Applicants should be physically fit, and with no ailments.

The salary ranges from P15,000 to P32,000, depending on the qualification, while the P500 per day incentive will cover days of duty and quarantine days.

"Napuputol natin 'yung transmission during contact tracing, so 'yun ang importante. Parati kong sinasabi na ang laban na ito sa pandemyang ito, ang ikakatagumpay natin ay sa field, sa bahay ng mga COVID patient natin sa community, doon ang tunay na labanan para mapigil ang ating pandemya na ito," QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit chief Rolly Cruz said.

The QC-ESU also assured they have solid and effective safety protocols for the applicants.

None of the QC-ESU employees have acquired COVID-19 in the three months of the pandemic in Quezon City, which has the highest COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila.

The Quezon City's COVID-19 Response Management Center is tasked to call suspected cases or those who had their tests at hospitals, in order to identify their close contacts and to ensure they are accomplishing home quarantine while waiting for their results.

Nineteen-year old college student Sophia Cerbo applied for a phone contact tracer position on Wednesday and was immediately hired the following day.

"Mas mapapabilis na maresolba 'yung cases tsaka makakatulong talaga sila sa bansa ngayon na kailangang kailangan ng mga tao para humarap sa mga ganoong klaseng pagsubok," Cerbo said.

The QC LGU is also expected to hire 300 contact tracers in the following weeks. —Jamil Santos/LDF, GMA News