Recto urges Duterte to ‘green light’ hiring of more contact tracers

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte should give a “green light” to the hiring of more people who will help in contact tracing of persons who have come in direct contact with COVID-19 patients, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said on Thursday.

“If 160 of your security personnel have tested positive for COVID-19, if it has penetrated your security ring, then it gives you a snapshot of the big picture,” the senator said in a statement.

Earlier, Presidential Security Group (PSG) chief Col. Jesus Durante said 160 PSG officers had tested positive for the new coronavirus in rapid antibody testing since March.

Citing data from the Department of Health (DOH), Recto said there are only 38,315 engaged contact tracers in the country out of the targeted number of 126,225.

As of May 14, these contact tracers were able to reach and identify the 60,586 individuals that 11,618 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients came into contact with, according to the senator.

The senator also noted that hiring contact tracers will help prevent the second wave of COVID-19 cases from coming and that it will help stem the “tsunami of joblessness” due to the pandemic.

He added that such a “cash-for-work” scheme should also be the template in providing emergency employment to Filipinos who were left jobless due to the crisis.

“Instead of purely handouts, pay them to lend a helping hand in fighting the disease,” Recto said.

In an online meeting of the Senate committee of the whole on Tuesday, acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said that 136,000 contact tracers might be needed to suppress the coronavirus contagion.

“That would, of course, depend on the amount that we are willing to pay,” said Chua, who also heads the National Economic and Development Authority.

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