Contact-Tracing Nears Target Capacity of 50,000 Trackers

The Philippines is close to completing the programmed deployment of 50,000 contact-tracers, as authorities move to contain infections while carefully reopening the economy from eight-month-old COVID-19 quarantines.

Some 46,338 contact tracers have been dispatched and the gap, set by the Bayanihan pandemic response law, will be filled in within the week, said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in a statement.

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Contact tracers, under DILG guidelines, will earn a minimum of P18,784 per month for the duration of their contract.

Most of the contact tracers were deployed to Metro Manila, the COVID-19 epicenter of the country, with 7,362 personnel. Central Luzon received the second-highest number of contact tracers at 5,026, followed by Central Visayas with 4,241.

Año said LGUs who need more contact tracers can coordinate with the DILG for augmentation. 

Contact tracing is among the key components of the government's strategy in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic along with testing and treatment.