Valenzuela automates COVID-19 contact tracing procedures

In its bid to track down COVID-19 patients and persons under investigation, the local government of Valenzuela City has automated its contact tracing procedures.

In an interview Sunday, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian said every time a new case turns positive, the team in charge logs all of the data and the system will detect any overlap in data such as the places visited and people who got in touch with the patient.

"They get the data [kung] sino nakasalamuha mo nitong araw, nitong oras. They keep on logging it in simultaneously its in network. The system will prompt us kung yung dalawang tao na 'yon merong nakasalamuha na common na tao o makakilala  sila," Gatchalian said.

He added said this automation against the manual system will expedite the process of rolling out plans to contain the spread of the virus.

"We need kasi to establish community transmission kasi kapag may community transmission, then alam natin na may mga hakbang na ang lokal na pamahlaan para ma-avoid yung further contagion ng community," he said.

Valenzuela, which is known for automating various processes such as application of business permits, said the automated contract tracing procedure is a "homegrown program" to eliminate mistakes.

"Kasi pag mano-mano tapos padami nang padami yung case ,medyo prone to mistakes," Gatchalian said. 

To date, Valenzuela City has seven COVID-19 cases. On Saturday, the city government said one of the COVID-19 patients, Patient 5, died on Friday. — RSJ, GMA News