ALABEL, Sarangani (MindaNews / 2 November) – Workers and clients of the Sarangani provincial government must be registered with StaySafe.ph to be allowed entry to the provincial capitol compound here, a measure to help contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), officials said.
StaySafe.ph is a contract tracing application approved by the National Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19.
Provincial capitol of Sarangani. Photo from Sarangani FB page
Dr. Arvin Alejandro, Provincial Health Office (PHO) chief, said the adoption of StaySafe.ph within the capitol compound was directed by Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon.
“The ICT team of the PHO shall be the one to manage the system and any data that will be collected shall be analyzed by the office,” he said in a report from the Provincial Information Office.
Alejandro added that the equipment to be used for the monitoring of the contact tracing system has been “fully established.”
Engr. Gerald Faciol, assistant provincial administrator for operations, said the adoption of the contract tracing app has been discussed during the management committee meeting attended by department heads.
“This will really help the lives and make the work of our contact tracers easy if all of the employees of the capitol will enroll in it,” Faciol added.
In support of this undertaking, the provincial government released additional revised guidelines and mechanisms under “Administrative Oder No. 16.”
Part of the guidelines requires all offices to place all their quick response or QR codes provided by the PHO on their respective doors to be easily scanned by the entering staff and clients.
For those without android phones, “manual information sheets” will be provided where they can write down the data required for contact tracing.
To ensure the daily monitoring of the app, each office shall assign its “Bida Bastonero” who will also serve as the focal person to ensure that minimum health standards and disinfection protocols are strictly implemented.
To use the app, Gerardo Pilapil Jr., Sarangani Covid-19 data manager, explained that all staff and entering individuals in the capitol need to enroll in the app and “has to scan the QR codes of each office including those QR codes which will be placed in every entry point.”
He also pointed out that StaySafe users will be the one to scan the QR codes, “unlike other contact tracing systems used by other local government units which assign a staff to scan the codes of people entering their premises.”
All the entry points of the capitol compound will also be installed with large-sized QR codes to make it easier for all entering individuals to use the contact tracing app.
Faciol said they might recommend the adoption of the StaySafe app province-wide.
Several offices inside the capitol are already using the contact tracing app.
However, there are still limitations on the functionality of the app “as it requires android phones to be used and to maximize its functionality since it requires a Bluetooth feature.”
Also, internet connection is needed to activate the scanning feature of the app.
The capitol has already established a command center for the monitoring of the contact tracing system located at the PHO-PDOHO building.
The “one-entrance-one-exit” policy for all motor vehicles is still monitored and public utility vehicles are still restricted to enter the capitol premises.
Aside from the new measures in place, minimum health standard protocols will still be strictly enforced such as social distancing and “No Mask/Face Shield, No Entry” policies, and monitoring of body temperature. (MindaNews)
