Contact tracing is considered a key component to slow down the further transmission of the virus. The goals are as follows: (1) To break the ongoing transmission and reduce the spread of infection; (2) To inform close contacts of the likelihood of infection and render preventive counseling or care; and, (3) To analyze and understand the epidemiology of a disease in a specific population. This study seeks to identify the facilitators and barriers to the contact tracing system in Zamboanga City through a quantitative and qualitative approach. It utilized a descriptive cross-sectional research design. Descriptive quantitative data analysis was used for the data extracted from the survey questionnaires. Results have shown the following: a need for better selection criteria and screening for the hiring of new contact tracers. The commonly identified facilitating factors were (1) Communication and interpersonal skills of contact tracers; (2) Provision of means of Transportation and Communication; (3) Cooperation and assistance from the Barangay officials during contact tracing; (4) Provision of supply of PPEs and other paraphernalia;(5) Cooperation of the close contacts and significant others, and (6) Provision of food supply to quarantined homes. While the provision of wrong information such as addresses and contact numbers of close contacts, difficulty locating households, difficulty finding contacts at home during visits, withholding of vital information regarding their close contacts, language barrier, uncooperative significant others or close contacts, aggression or hostility encountered by the contact tracers, uncooperative barangay officials and representatives, hesitation/refusal to be quarantined, and lack of knowledge about COVID-19 were the most common barriers/challenges encountered by the contact tracing team. The identification of the challenges and barriers to the contact tracing process is vital for the success of the entire system. Prompt and efficient contact tracing is vital for the success of this strategy to contain COVID-19 transmission as any delay or inefficiency may result in an increased number of cases.

Keyword: Facilitators and barriers to COVID contact tracing