By Leilanie G. Adriano (Staff Reporter)
LAOAG CITY—A proposed coffee room at the west wing of the Ilocos Norte Capitol building was converted to a contact tracing operation center with at least five dedicated personnel to further improve the provincial health task force’s coronavirus disease 2o19 (COVID-19) contact tracing efforts.
Equipped with three computers and a life-size projector, the provincial government officially inaugurated the Contact Tracing Operation Center on October 27, 2020 to process data of the contact-traced individuals.
Catholic priest Rev. Father Ian Rabago blessed the center with provincial officials led by Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc and other health personnel and contact tracers in attendance.
Wildredo Lorenzo Jr., the provincial government’s information technology officer said in an interview, "the operation center will operate 24/7, and will collect and consolidate the contact tracing data gathered on the field."
With the help of trained personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, and the assigned contact tracers from the 21 towns and two cities of Ilocos Norte including the barangay health emergency response team (BHERT), the operation center will likewise provide real-time updates about the COVID-19 situation in the province.
In his short speech during the formal launching, Mr. Manotoc urged residents to continue observing minimum health protocols and help government frontline workers in the mitigation, control and treatment of infected patients.
The 129th COVID-19 case was recorded on October 27, 2020. She is a 64-year old locally stranded individual from Brgy. San Pedro in Batac City who travelled from Cavite. Reports says she was immediately quarantined and was swabbed twice before she was admitted to the hospital for experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms.
As of press time, Ilocos Norte has four active cases with 124 total recoveries and one death.
"We know how crucial and urgent contact tracing is. Thank you to all our front-liners for your hard work and dedication,” the governor ended.