MANILA – The country’s Covid-19 response managers gave the use of automatic contact tracing through Smart Messaging System a go signal to further strengthen and improve the use of StaySafe.PH System, Malacañang said Sunday.
The StaySafe.PH System is the official social distancing, Covid-19 health-condition reporting, and contact tracing system of the government.
In a virtual presser, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved the recommendation of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to use automatic contact tracing through Smart Messaging System.
“To ensure interoperability and integration of all contact tracing applications integration in the StaySafe.PH System, there will be an initial beta-testing, together with the proposed messaging, of the Smart Messaging System in Pasig City due on May 1, 2021, and beta-testing in the consortium of Antipolo and cities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, Valenzuela due on May 1, 2021, with access to Covid-19 Document Repository System (CDRS),” Roque said.
Roque said the IATF-EID likewise adopted the recommendation on the immediate completion of the transfer of ownership to the Department of Health (DOH) of the CDRS and the immediate integration of the CDRS with the StaySafe.PH System and other local contact tracing systems and applications.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has been directed to be the overall lead in the implementation, he added.
On the other hand, he said the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has been directed to lead in the national interoperability, while the DOH is directed to ensure integration of the StaySafe.PH System with the CDRS.
The DILG has been directed to immediately coordinate and convene with DICT and DOH to formulate the necessary action plan with specific timelines and targets.
In November last year, the IATF-EID signed a resolution, making the use of StaySafe.ph mandatory in all national government agencies and instrumentalities and local government units (LGUs).
The IATF-EID in January this year issued another resolution, directing DILG to ensure LGUs’ proper enforcement StaySafe.PH to step up the efforts to trace close contacts of individuals who are found to be positive for Covid-19.
Despite this, lawmakers said there was no unified national contact tracing system in use after various contact tracing applications had emerged.
Meanwhile, Roque said the IATF-EID also approved the proposal of the Department of Tourism to construct free and temporary public walk-in and drive-thru vaccination centers in the vacant portion of the lots located in the Nayong Pilipino property in Parañaque City. (PNA)
