The City Government of Bacolod has begun conducting echo-seminars on Covid-19 contact tracing since August 10, starting with barangays mostly affected by the dreaded viral disease, according to City Administrator Em Ang.

Contact Tracing Operations Center head, Dr. Luz Ma-apni, of the City Health Office has started training the members of Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERTs) of 18 barangays, namely 4, 19, 31, 32, 33, 41, Alijis, Bata, Banago, Estefania, Mansilingan, Montevista, Singcang-Airport, Sum-ag, Taculing, Tangub, Villamonte, and Vista Alegre.

“Given the recent sudden spike in Covid-19 cases, we need a large number of trained contact tracers to quickly locate patients, assist in isolating them, and identify people with whom the patients have been in close contact, ensuring they do not interact with others, and thus protecting the community from further spread,” Ang said.

Last July 29, six Bacolod City personnel were sent to Iloilo City for a seminar on contact tracing conducted by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, chief of the National Task Force for Contact Tracing.

Those who attended the whole-day seminar shall become lecturers who will conduct echo-seminars in their respective localities.

For Bacolod, the attending personnel were Dr. Ma-apni, barangay captains Leandro De Leon of Vista Alegre and Glo-Ann Tambasen of Montevista; nurse Gladys Caballes of the City Health Office; and Police Major Sherlock Gabana and Police Corporal William Martin of the Bacolod City Police Office./WDJ