Contact tracing helps reduce COVID-19 cases in Pasay
PASAY City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano has expressed optimism following what she described as the small victories the city has gained in its continuing fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The mayor has especially credited the city’s intensified contact tracing, which is part of its prevent-detect-isolate-treat-reintegrate system, as one of the keys in lowering the number of COVID-19 cases in Pasay.
“Mula po sa double digits na contact tracing ay talaga pong ginawa naming three digits ang contact tracing noong nagkaroon ng surge ng mga kaso noong Marso. At hindi lamang po two generations kundi hanggang three generations ng mga nakasalamuha ng pasyente ang aming hinahanap para ma-swab test,” Rubiano said.
The mayor was particularly proud that from the daily average of 197 new cases last March, the city has succeeded in bringing down the number to 53 as of Thursday. She averred that the other secret to the city’s success was the full cooperation between all local government officials and the citizenry.
“Talagang nagtulong-tulong po ang lahat ng mga departmento ng city hall, kasama po natin ang mga barangay official, kapulisan at iba pang sangay ng gobyerno upang tiyakin na maayos ang pagpapatupad ng ating granular lockdowns,” she explained.
Rubiano reported that currently, the city has placed under granular lockdown 327 houses spread in 138 barangays, with one barangay still under total lockdown.
“Talagang nagtutulungan po kaming lahat sa lungsod para bantayan at ibigay ang pangangailangan ng mga pamilya na nasa granular lockdown upang matiyak na hindi sila makakalabas hanggang hindi sila tuluyang gumagaling,” she pointed out.
She added that because of the lower new cases, the occupancy rates in Pasay’s isolation facilities also went down and that 20 percent of the isolation facilities are currently available.
Rubiano rallied her constituents to always observe basic health protocols including the daily EMI habit and submit themselves to the vaccination program of the government.
“Gawin po natin ang lahat ng kaukulang pag-iingat tulad ng basic health protocols at EMI habit at kapag dumating na ang bakuna ay huwag na tayong mag-atubili at huwag na ring mamili ng brand,” she said.
