The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will redeploy 84 contact tracers to this province’s 18 municipalities starting August 23 until December 31.

DILG Antique provincial director Cherryl Tacda, in an interview Friday, said the contact tracers were rehired to assist local government units (LGUs) in its effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“The province’s allocation was increased to 84 from 64 in the two previous batches due to the detection of the local cases of the Delta variant in Antique,” she said.

Tacda said each contact tracer will be paid a monthly salary of PHP18,875.

With more human resources, LGUs would be able to fast-track their contact tracing, which is very important in preventing the further spread of the Covid-19 more contagious variant.

“The contact tracers are to trace close contacts of the Covid-19 Delta cases up to the second layer and make daily report about their activities ,” she said, adding “they will also help monitor the Covid-19 cases at isolation facilities and conduct information and education campaign among the residents if they have time.”

Antique has 22 detected local cases of the Delta variant based on the report of the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD).

“Each LGU, from having previously two contact tracers only, will now have an additional one contact tracer,” Tacda added.

However, LGUs where cases of the more infectious variant were detected and those located in the provincial borders will have at least two more contact tracers.

The island village of Caluya will be one of the areas where additional contact tracers will be put on assignment. (PNA)