Experiences from previous outbreaks and epidemics paved the way for various initiatives used by communities in Zamboanga City to mitigate the recent COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, initiatives on disease surveillance, contact tracing, and isolation are key tools which can help in decreasing the number of COVID-19 cases. However, despite the government efforts, COVID-19 cases have continued to rise. Here we describe the mitigation initiatives of five selected barangays in Zamboanga City with high COVID-19 cases, specifically on the three areas of mitigation response. COVID-19 case reports are forwarded to CESU and subsequently to DOH-RESU and to DOH-EB. Aside from the reports received from hospitals, health centers, laboratories, and sentinel ILI/SARI surveillance systems, disease surveillance is also made possible through participatory self-reports by the community members and through active case finding in the community. Contact tracing performed by BHERT members and contact tracers did not meet the target case to close contact ratio and the standard percentage of contacts traced per one confirmed case within 24 hours. Confirmed positive patients who are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms were isolated in temporary isolation facilities. Close contacts of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 positive patients and those that refused to be tested were home quarantined in their communities. Most of the barangays were not stringent with the protocols for an ideal house used for quarantine, and most of them did not meet the 90 percent target referral to isolation facilities. Timely surveillance and data report, early initiation of contact tracing meeting the ideal targets, and prompt isolation of positive patients in an isolation facility are crucial to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and lessen the morbidity and mortality brought by this contagious disease.

Keyword: COVID-19 mitigation initiatives