PNP to boost govt’s contact tracing of Covid-19 patients and carriers

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) will assist the government in the contact tracing of people who may have been exposed to Covid-19 patients, or possible carriers of the deadly pathogen.

“The PNP is ready to help in the contact tracing as we are part of the IATF [Inter-agency Task Force],” said PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, adding that this initiative had been done before by policemen.

Over the weekend, the IATF ordered the mandatory public disclosure of information regarding novel coronavirus carriers for the purpose of contact tracing by the government, still as part of the anti-covid-19 effort.

Theinformationincludepeopletowhomtheyhad come into contact with, for the purpose of contact tracing that will be led by the Office of Civil Defense, and with the PNP and other units as “enforcers.”

Banac said the PNP, through the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, had carried out contact tracing, even before the pandemic wreaked havoc on the country, by tracing Chinese nationals who had come into the country.

“We have started this when Chinese tourists were reported to have possibly entered the country in January. The PNP was also asked by the DOH for its help in contact tracing the passengers of an airplane,” he said. National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer retired Gen. Carlito Galvez said the contact tracing and the targeted testing will be the government’s “game changer” in the battle against the pandemic.

“If we finish the large-scale testing in priority areas in NCR [National Capital Region] and other regions, then we will satisfy the implementation of our strategy,” he said, referring to the rapid testing that will go hand in hand with the contact tracing.