MANILA, Philippines — In a bid to avoid community transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and to contain its spread, the Department of Health (DOH) is expanding its contact tracing efforts.
Health Secretary Francisco Francisco Duque III said this after the DOH confirmed the Philippines’ sixth COVID-19 case involving a 59-year-old woman, who is the wife of the 62-year-old who first tested positive for the dreaded virus.
“Tuloy-tuloy ang ating contact tracing, pinalalawig natin ang contact tracing para nang sa ganon habang may kakayahan pa baka naman ma-contain pa e i-contain natin na maging localized lang siya talaga, wala pang community transmission,” Duque said in an interview on dzBB on Sunday.
On Saturday, the DOH raised code red, sublevel 1 with the confirmation of local transmission.
Duque also recommended the declaration of a state of public health emergency to which the President had agreed to.
READ: State of emergency: Virus cases in PH hit 6
A declaration of the state of public health emergency would “facilitate mobilization of resources, ease processes, including procurement of critical logistics and supplies, and intensifying reporting,” according to Duque.
READ: DOH to recommend state of public health emergency declaration on coronavirus