The Quezon City government on Monday said it served a cease and desist order and Notice of Violation against a club for refusing to cooperate with the city’s contact tracing team that was conducting an investigation and inquiries at the establishment amid the mpox threat.
The local government said the City Health Department’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Division went to Fahrenheit Cafe and Fitness Center (F Club) located along E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue on Saturday, August 24, to initiate contact tracing measures, following instructions from the Department of Health (DOH).
However, it said, the F Club’s management “refused to cooperate” with the contact tracing team.
“Itinuturing nating banta sa kalusugan at kapakanan ng mga QCitizen ang ganitong pagtanggi sa isinasagawa nating contact tracing efforts. Maagap ‘yung ginagawa nating pagtugon at imbestigasyon, pero napapatagal at nade-delay dahil ayaw makipag-cooperate,” QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a statement.
(We consider this rejection of our contact tracing efforts as a threat to the health and well-being of QCitizens. We promptly respond and investigate, but this is being delayed because of some people’s unwillingness to cooperate.)
GMA News Online had sought comment from Fahrenheit Cafe and Fitness Center, but they had to respond as of posting time.
However, the club said in a Facebook post that they were holding operations until further notice as per the QC health offices directive.
“MPOX preventive measures are taking place,” said the club. “We apologize for the inconvenience.”
The mayor revealed last Wednesday that the 10th case of mpox in the country went to a derma clinic and an illegal spa in Quezon City where he had close contacts.
Among those quarantined were the masseur and some other clients of the illegal spa, where the mpox case had a sexual encounter.
Belmonte also ordered the closure of the spa upon finding out that it did not have a mayor’s permit and other necessary documents.
Following this, she urged business owners to work closely with the city government, especially on public health concerns.
“Nananawagan ako sa mga residente at business owners na makiisa at makipag-cooperate sa mga health event investigation ng lungsod. Ginagawa lang namin ang aming responsibilidad para matiyak na protektado at ligtas ang lahat ng QCitizens,” the mayor added.
(I’m calling on residents and business owners to cooperate with the city’s health event investigations. We are simply fulfilling our responsibility to ensure that all QCitizens are protected and safe.)
Republic Act No. 11332, also known as the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, states that non-cooperation of the person or entities identified as having the notifiable disease or affected by the health event of public concern is prohibited.
On Monday, the DOH also announced that two additional mpox cases were detected in the Philippines—both cases were from Metro Manila and had close and intimate, skin-to-skin contact.
DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo, however, said they could not yet determine any epidemiologic linkages between the two new cases and the 10th case.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Benjamin Co on Thursday called on the public to be cautious in engaging in “reckless” sexual behaviors due to the threat of mpox, which he said is “more sexually transmitted.” — DVM, GMA Integrated News
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