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To assist the City Government of Olongapo in the prompt detection and containment of COVID-19, DILG-Olongapo City conducted a training on the Strengthening of Contact Tracing Team (CTT) on September 15, 2020 at the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Session Hall to discuss national and local policies and efforts on Contact Tracing activities of suspected carriers of the virus.

"This activity aims to refresh the Local CTT members on the implementation of Contact Tracing and to support Olongapo City in preventing the spread of COVID-19," said DILG City Director Amada T. Dumagat in her opening remarks. She also mentioned that the DILG is currently hiring Contact Tracers to augment the contact tracing workforce of the Local Government Units (LGUs)

City Vice-Mayor Aquilino Y. Cortez, Jr., during his message, stated that improving the mindset of the constituents for them to follow the policies of the government against COVID-19 is vital to stop the transmission of the virus. Also, LGOO III Vincent E. Catacutan presented the duties and functions of Local Contact Tracing Team, and the critical elements of the contact tracing implementation such as community engagement and public support, careful planning, trained CTT workforce, logistic support to CTT, and systematic and real time data collection and analysis.

Dr. Zero Mella, City Health Office, discussed the COVID-19 situation in Olongapo City and the contact tracing efforts of the Local CTT. He also shared inputs in obtaining more credible information from patients tested positive of the virus and further investigation from other sources to ensure all the close contacts will be traced and provided with appropriate medical intervention.

City Councilor Sarah Lugerna Lipumano-Garcia, in her closing remarks, emphasized that the help of all the members of the contact tracing team is necessary, especially that the number of confirmed COVID-19 patients is still increasing. "The faster we could trace people around the COVID-19 patients, the faster we could control COVID," she added.

The Training on the Strengthening of CTT is part of the series of face-to-face and virtual capacity building activities of DILG-OC to further enhance the contact tracing implementation in Olongapo City. Contact Tracing Training for Barangay CTTs, and Orientation on the Management of Contact Tracing Application Software, in coordination with Olongapo City Police Office, are also lined up this month.