QC to file raps vs manning agency of UK variant patient for breach of protocols

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government on Thursday said it is set to file complaints against the manning agency of the 35-year-old man who tested positive for the more contagious variant of Covid-19.

READ: DOH: UK variant patient from Cebu now in isolation in QC

In an online press conference, City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the agency transported the infected patient to Quezon City without informing city authorities.

“Through the manning agency via a Grab vehicle, dinala sa ating lungsod [ang pasyente] na hindi ninotify ang CESU [City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit] sa lungsod. Hindi rin ninotify ang barangay. We were not aware that this person was there. That is a breach of protocol,” said Belmonte.

(The manning agency brought the patient to Quezon City, but it did not notify CESU of Quezon City. The village was also not informed.)

The manning agency will face complaints for violation of Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act or Republic Act 11332 for the breach of health protocols, said Belmonte.

“In light of various breaches of protocols, there are several, the city government decided to file charges against the […] manning agency. While they are not registered in Quezon City, the violation occurred in Quezon City and this is in accordance with RA 11332 Section D wherein it is punishable by law when a notifiable disease has been kept in secret or not been told to the proper authorities,” Belmonte said.

Belmonte noted that they would file the complaint against the manning agency “early next week.”

The 35-year-old was on quarantine at Riverside, Barangay Commonwealth for Covid-19.

He later tested positive for the B.1.1.7 variant of Covid-19, after his samples were sequenced at the Philippine Genome Center.

The patient, a former overseas Filipino worker in Korea, returned to the country last August 2020 and stayed in Liloan, Cebu.

Lockdown in Riverside is premature

Asked if a lockdown will be imposed in Riverside, the mayor said they would first conduct tests, which will show if there is already a chain of infections in the area.

“We will have to defer to the advice of CESU. CESU will do some testing and if there are more index cases that turn up indicative of community transmission, then they will recommend the lockdown,” Belmonte said.

She added that she would give the final decision for imposing lockdown after studying the CESU recommendation.

Quezon City earlier said it is conducting intensive contact tracing and testing within the Riverside community.

To date, the national government reported 25 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

READ: DOH reports 8 more cases of UK Covid-19 variant; total in PH now 25

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