QC club shut down for non-cooperation in mpox contact tracing

MANILA – The Quezon City government ordered the closure of a fitness club and cafe for refusing to cooperate with the ongoing investigation related to an mpox case discovered last week.

In a news release on Monday, the city government announced that it issued a cease and desist order and notice of violation against Fahrenheit Cafe and Fitness Center (F Club) after it turned down the contact tracing team investigating the establishment.

"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 (We consider this rejection of our contact tracing efforts as a threat to the health and well-being of QCitizens. We are responding and investigating promptly, but we are being delayed because they do not want to cooperate)," Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

On Saturday, the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division of the City Health Department went to F Club to initiate contact tracing measures, following the Department of Health's (DOH) instructions.

The city government said the club refused to cooperate but did not elaborate.

Belmonte also called on 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 (I am calling on residents and business owners to unite and cooperate with the city's health event investigations. We are simply doing our responsibility to ensure that all QCitizens are protected and safe)," she said.

On Monday, the DOH announced the detection of two additional mpox cases in Metro Manila, bringjng to 12 the total cases in the country.

The DOH said the 11th case is a 37-year-old male while the 12th case is a 32-year-old male.

The two patients admitted to having close, intimate and skin-to-skin contacts before the onset of symptoms.

The 11th case is under confinement at a hospital, while the 12th case is in home isolation.

The DOH assured the public that the latest cases have the milder mpox virus, MPXV clade II. (PNA)