COVID-19 info from gossipmongers will be validated, says PNP

Published Jul 25, 2020 4:19:39 PM

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 25) — The Philippine National Police stands by a controversial pronouncement that gossipmongers will be tapped in the government’s contact tracing efforts.

“Itong activity natin na ‘to ay basic lamang na pagtanong ‘yan sa barangay,” PNP Spokesperson BGen. Bernard Banac said in an online media briefing on Saturday.

[Translation: This activity is just a basic gathering of information in barangays.]

“Magtanong ka lamang ng isa diyan, yung nagtitinda ng taho o kaya naman yung nagtitinda ng sorbetes, e malalaman mo kung sino yung mga posibleng nagpositibo o may sakit na COVID-19,” he added.

[Translation: Just ask one resident there, the taho or dirty ice cream seller, you’ll know who’s possibly positive or sickened with COVID-19.]

Eyebrows were raised following reports that the Central Visayas police are considering seeking the help of gossipers for contact tracing, or to find out the close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Banac stressed that all information will be validated by health authorities.

“Kaagad naman itong ipapasa natin sa ating mga contact tracers, sa pangunguna ng ating health workers para kumpirmahin kung talagang… validated yung mga ganitong tsismis,” he said.

[Translation: We will immediately send the information to our contact tracers, led by our health workers, to confirm and validate the gossip.]

Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the World Health Organization representative in the Philippines, earlier said the country’s contact tracing efforts need “more strengthening” to make sure that those who had contact with patients infected with COVID-19 are also quarantined.

President Rodrigo Duterte has since appointed Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong as contact-tracing czar in hopes of replicating the city’s success. Magalong said tracers will undergo training for cognitive interviewing, and digital data collection and analytics tools will be used.

SOURCE: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/7/25/COVID-19-gossipmongers-contact-tracing.html