Contact tracing: 3 COVID patients had close contact with 233 people

CONTACT tracing is ongoing to track down people in the region who had close interaction with a confirmed COVID-19 patient.

Dr. Cleo Fe Tabada, Department of Health XI medical officer of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit, said they are coordinating with the local government units for the intensified contact tracing.

They also made some progress.

For example, Patient 130, the 21-year-old recovered COVID-19 patient, had close contacts with 104 people. Of these 104

individuals, 83 persons have been contacted and monitored already. Three of them had mild symptoms while the rest are asymptomatic.

PH 262 and PH 263, the couple who also tested positive for COVID-19, had close contacts with an estimated 129 people. Of these number, the DOH already reached out to 49 individuals.

For PH442, only 18 individuals have been listed for contact tracing. Taboda said they are coordinating with the airlines, and now waiting for the manifesto so that they can add it to their list.

The City Health Office (CHO) will conduct the contact tracing for PH443, the latest patient positive of COVID-19.

As for PH444, also the recently reported confirmed COVID-19 case, the local health units and the government are responsible for tracking down the possible infected people.

Taboda said all these contacted people are now on strict home quarantine, monitored by the local health units.

“Continuous contact tracing has been conducted. We are encouraging people to please submit any information that might help with our contact tracing,” she said.