Philippines launches COVID-19 tracking, emergency response online platform
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines launched an online and mobile platform that can help the government track people exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus disease and conduct more efficient contact tracing.
Manila-based developer Multisys created StaySafe.ph, which “encourages people to report their health condition as well as those of their family members,” the National Task Force against COVID-19 said in a statement.
Users will be asked during the online registration process if they manifest COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, muscle pain, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath and diarrhea. The platform will then generate a result indicating mild, moderate or severe depending on the number of symptoms the user is experiencing.
The data will be forwarded to a “heat map” in the admin dashboard of StaySafe.ph, which will then show the areas and the number of people showing symptoms of the highly-contagious illness.
The developer pointed out that users do not have to disclose sensitive information such as birthdate when registering in the platform.
Healthcare workers, local governments and private companies will be given access to the admin dashboard to aid them track the number of confirmed cases, persons under investigation and monitoring, deaths, recovered patients and the location of these patients.
Frontliners will receive alerts from the StaySafe.ph system so they could respond to severe COVID-19 cases and provide direct online consultations to patients. The platform also allows companies to identify employees who need help.
Multisys said it developed the online and mobile platform at no cost to the national government.
As of Thursday, the Philippines registered 4,076 COVID-19 cases with 203 deaths and 124 recoveries.
There have now been 1,534,426 officially confirmed infections around the world. The worldwide death toll from the virus reached 90,938 on Thursday, more than half of which were recorded in hard-hit Italy, Spain and the United States. — Gaea Katreena Cabico with Agence France-Presse
If you believe you have come into possible contact with infected patients, you may be directed to the proper office of the Department of Health for advice through the following lines: (632) 8651-7800 local 1149/1150 or (632) 165-364.
You may also opt to call the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine at (02) 8807-2631/ 8807-2632/ 8807-2637.
Photo shows members of the Philippine National Police deployed in Manila amid COVID-19 threat. The STAR/Edd Gumban
President Rodrigo Duterte on March 16, 2020 declares an enhanced community quarantine over all of mainland Luzon, an expansion of an earlier general community quarantine over the National Capital Region.
The entire National Capital Region—16 cities and a municipality—is under community quarantine from March 15 to April 14, which means the enforcement of social distancing measures like letting fewer people on public transportation, reduced store hours, and the possibiity of curfews.
According to a memorandum issued by the Palace on Saturday, March 14, the quarantine means that "movement of people shall be limited to accessing basic necessities and work; and uniformed personnel and quarantine officers shall be present at border points."
Travel restrictions in and out of the capital will also be implemented.
A labor group says another lockdown will never resolve rising COVID-19 cases in the Philippines after the government announced that Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal are placed under the enhanced community quarantine starting Monday.
“The Duterte government seems to be deliberate in focusing its efforts in imposing quarantine and lockdown measures instead of addressing the rising cases of COVID-19 and the worsening state of the pandemic through medical solutions and scientific approach,” says Defend Jobs Philippines.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says the implementation of enhanced community quarantine is meant to slow down the increase of COVID-19 cases, so hospitals and health workers will not be overwhelmed.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announces that Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal are placed under enhanced community quarantine starting Monday, March 29.
Tuguegarao City will be placed under enhanced community quarantine from January 20 to 29 due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the city.
Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba approved the request of Tuguegarao Mayor Jefferson Soriano to place the city under ECQ for 10 days.
According to the Cagayan Provincial Information Office, the city currently has 246 active cases.
BREAKING NEWS | ENERO 19, 2021 RIATF INAPRUBAHAN NA ANG PAGSASAILALIM SA TUGUEGARAO CITY SA 10-ARAW NA...
Posted by Cagayan Provincial Information Office on Tuesday, 19 January 2021
Batangas, one of the provinces hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, has reported no new cases of the disease for two consecutive days.
The provincial DOH Office says the number of COVID-19 cases in the province stood at 91 with no new cases as of Wednesday afternoon.
Lipa City has the most cases with 26, followed by Batangas City (21) and Nasugbu (11).
Tanauan City has the fourth most cases with eight, followed by Bauan (5) and Alitagtag (3). Cuenca and Sto. Tomas City had two cases each, while the municipalities of Calaca, Lemery, Lian, Lobo, Mabini, Mataas na Kahoy, Padre Garcia, San Jose, San Juan, San Pascual and Taal had one case each, respectively. — The Filipino Connection
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