The Quezon City local government has appealed to the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure complete information of all coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive individuals to hasten its contact tracing efforts.

QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said the agency’s failure to provide complete information in some cases delays contact tracing by days.

Due to this, she said frontliners are forced to spend valuable time looking for the needed information from other possible sources including social media.

“The lack of available information from the outset, specifically addresses and contact numbers, amounting to half of all cases reported, delays contact tracing by days,” she said.

Belmote said 573 or 47% out of the 1,224 COVID-19 cases from Aug. 1 to 2 have no addresses or contact numbers, forcing the City Epidemiology and
Surveillance Unit (CESU) to label them as ‘unknown’.

“With that, we appeal to your good office as Secretary of Health to set the vision and direction in improving data quality for rapid contact tracing,” she added. -AAC

The Quezon City Government has released the guidelines it has drafted to expedite contact tracing of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in large companies.

QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said this is to further contain the virus and minimize the employee risk of infection and economic effects of COVID-19.

Based on the guidelines, an individual is considered a close contact if he or she had face-to-face contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case within one-meter distance, for more than 15 minutes and within a 14 day period from the confirmed case’s onset of symptoms.

Those in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case should undergo a 14-day quarantine and should undertake the swab testing if he or she is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.

“In either case, close contacts should not be allowed to report for work immediately upon identification as such, and should be required to self-isolate at home,” Belmonte said.

Companies are also mandated to require their employees to list down all usual close contacts, both inside and outside work, even prior to any confirmed or suspect COVID-19 case.

“Companies are also mandated to provide the City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (CESU), through qcsurveillance@quezoncity.gov.ph, with updates regarding confirmed cases and close contacts among the workforce,” the guidelines also stated. AAC

The Quezon City government has warned officials of private subdivisions and condominiums in the city who will hamper measures to contain the spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In a statement, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said imprisonment and hefty fine will be imposed on subdivision and condominium officials who will refuse to cooperate in the local government’s contact tracing efforts.

Belmonte issued the warning after officials of a condominium building in Barangay Sto. Cristo and a subdivision in Barangay Matandang Balara prevented the entry of contact tracers into their premises despite intervention from the barangay officers.

“Hindi tayo magdadalawang-isip na kasuhan ang mga opisyal ng subdivision at condominium na hindi makikipagtulungan sa ating mga pagkilos laban sa virus,” Belmonte said in a statement.

“Nakakalungkot ang nangyaring ito dahil dapat ay nagkakaisa tayo sa paglaban kontra sa COVID-19, na kung hindi agarang maagapan ay maaring humantong sa lalong pagkalat ng virus sa mga natukoy na lugar,” she added.

The city government said it will file charges against officials of the said condominium and subdivision for violation of Republic Act No. 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.

“The city is also mulling to file other charges against them for their non-cooperation and for preventing our health personnel from doing their duty,” Assistant City Administrator for Operations Alberto Kimpo said in the same statement.

The violation carries a penalty of ₱20,000 but not more than ₱50,000 in fines, or imprisonment of not less than one month but not more than six months.

“If other homeowners and condominium associations remain uncooperative, we have no other option but to hale them to court as well,” Belmonte stressed.

“Pero huwag na sanang umabot pa sa korte ang usapan. Nananawagan ako sa homeowners and condominium associations na makiisa sa ating kampanya laban sa COVID-19 alang-alang sa kaligtasan ng lahat,” she added.