Baguio’s Contact Tracing still up to the mark

20 August 2021 – Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Aug 16 said Baguio City’s contact tracing efficiency has remained up to the mark.

“Our cumulative contact tracing ratio is at one patient to 14 contacts (1:14) so we’re good considering the fact that Delta variant’s infection rate is at 1:6 or 1:8.  We’re okay when it comes to our contact tracing,” he said.

He said the ratio went down in the past two weeks to 1:11 because most of those infected were on a work-from-home arrangement reducing the number of their contacts.

“Some companies heeded our earlier call to reduce manpower capacity by 50 percent so marami sa nagkaroon infection nasa work-from-home kaya konti and close contacts so that was one of the major factors kaya bumaba pero our cumulative ration remains at 1:14,” he said.

As part of its multi-pronged contingency measures against the Delta variant, the city worked to maintain its contact tracing capability.

The mayor said the city trained volunteers from the Baguio City Police Office and the private sector particularly the business process outsourcing (BPO) companies for augmentation.

He said the partnership with the private sector through the BPO companies with large manpower to help in the contact tracing operations of local government units is being done nationwide.

At present, there are 62 contact tracers from the BCPO while the city has 102.

The city is keeping track of its contingency plans against the Delta variant which include stockpiling of critical medicines, oxygen and apparatus for hospitals and facilities, establishment of more isolation beds in preparation for increased hospitalizations and enhancement of border control, lockdown rules, contact tracing, testing, isolation, vaccination and other Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate (PDITR) strategies. – Aileen P. Refuerzo