MANILA — The Philippines' contact-tracing strategy for COVID-19 remains far from ideal, Malacañang said on Thursday, exactly a year since the World Health Organization declared the respiratory disease a pandemic.

The country has yet to use a uniform contact-tracing app that would enable the government to isolate the close contacts of patients with COVID-19 and prevent its spread, said Palace spokesman Harry Roque.

"Talagang iyong tracing, naguguluhan na po ako. Nahihilo na ako lalong-lalo dito sa StaySafe app. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit hindi pa natin ginagamit ito," he said in a press briefing.

(I am confused with tracing. I'm dizzy, especially with the StaySafe app. I don't understand why we have yet to use it.)

Authorities should trace at last 32 people who came in contact with a COVID-19 patient, said Roque.

"Kinakailangan talaga nating mag-automate dahil I will have to admit, ito iyong pinakamahina natin sa response sa COVID-19 ngayon, iyong ating contact-tracing," he said.

"Malayo pa talaga iyong mga numero na nati-trace natin lalong-lalo na dito sa Metro Manila."

(We need to automate because I have to admit, this is the weakest link in our response to COVID-19. The numbers that we are tracing is still far from ideal, especially here in Metro Manila.)

• Only 4 out of 17 Metro Manila LGUs compliant with COVID-19 contact tracing standards— DILG

The Philippines has tallied about 603,000 coronavirus infections, including cases of new, more contagious COVID-19 variants.

The number of additional daily cases in recent weeks has been higher than those reported in January and February. The increase has been attributed to the spread of COVID-19 in the National Capital Region.

• PH logs highest number of active COVID-19 cases since Oct. as total infections hit 603,308

“Iyong nangyayari kasi sa past 4 days, should not erase what we have done since the outbreak of the pandemic,” Roque said.

(What is happening in the past 4 days should not erase what we have done since the outbreak of the pandemic.)

The country is "managing COVID-19 very well, given iyong ating (our) limited budget for health," said Roque. A nearly year-long quarantine allowed the Philippines to expand its healthcare capacity and "we are now able to take care of those who may fall ill seriously," he said.

The quarantine, which will mark its first anniversary next week, has left businesses struggling and millions jobless.

Video courtesy of PTV