PERSONAL information of positive coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients will only be released to agencies involved in servicing their needs.
Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) clarified in a virtual presser with local chief executives and journalists in Ilocos and Cordillera regions.
Malaya said personal details of positive Covid-19 patients and suspects will be given to local government units for immediate contact tracing procedures.
"This does not mean their details will be given to mainstream media for them to bring out their identities but instead will be given to authorities for them to do the necessary contact tracing procedures, and this is very clear under the Pilipinas act, privacy act and quarantine law, that if this will be needed to protect public health, this can be given to authorities and not the media," Malaya said.
The government recently allowed disclosure to the public of personal information of patients who tested positive for Covid-19.
On April 12, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases decided to make it mandatory to publicize the identities of Covid-19 cases to strengthen the country's contact tracing efforts.
In April 13, the Department of Health (DOH)-Cordillera medical health update on Covid-19 reported 21 positive coronavirus disease cases with 14 patients recovered, six confined and one death.
The IATF adopted the policy of mandatory public disclosure of personal information relating to positive Covid-19 cases to enhance the contact tracing efforts of the government finalized under IATF Resolution No. 22 which the body signed on Wednesday, April 8.
