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QC to file complaint vs. UK variant patient’s manning agency over alleged protocol breaches


The local government of Quezon City will file a complaint against the manning agency of a COVID-19 patient who tested positive for the UK variant for alleged breaches in health protocols.

In a press conference on Thursday, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said they will file the complaint against Baltic Asia Crewing manning agency next week for not reporting the COVID-19 case.

“In light of the breach of protocols, there are several, the city government has decided to file charges against the Baltic Asia Crewing manning agency,” Belmonte said.

According to the city government, the patient underwent testing on January 17 and got his positive result on January 18 while under quarantine in Orion Hotel in Manila.

Instead of referring him to the barangay health emergency response team or a hospital, the patient was released from the hotel to his manning agency.

On January 21, the manning agency brought the patient to an apartment in Quezon City via Grab ride.

“This is a breach of protocol, clearly, because they are not supposed to release positive patients to any other entity but the barangay health and emergency response teams, no, or hospitals for that matter,” Belmonte said in Mariz Umali’s report on “24 Oras.”

“But, eto, the manning agency via a Grab vehicle, dinala sa aming lungsod, again another violation, na hindi ni-notify ang aming mga CESU sa lungsod. Hindi rin ni-notify ang barangay,” she added.

The DOH received the patient's positive result for the UK variant on February 5, but the agency only informed the city government on February 10 after the National Bureau of Investigation located him.

“His registered address is in Cebu, so noong hinahanap na siya because ‘yung kanyang results proved that he has the UK variant, hindi siya mahanap ng Department of Health,” Belmonte said.

The patient was brought to HOPE facility on early Thursday morning.

Belmonte expressed concern over the possibility that the patient could be a superspreader of the virus, as the UK variant is much more transmissible.

“What if talagang superspreader itong mamang ito, given pa that he has the UK variant. You can just imagine the kind of destruction and the kind of effect this would have had in the communities,” she said.

The local government is also looking into filing charges against the 35-year-old patient. It is also studying if the area where the patient was brought must be placed under a special concern lockdown.

“We are doing extensive contact tracing within the vicinity doon sa lugar kasi medyo hindi conducive for isolation or quarantine ‘yung lugar na pinag dalan sa kaniya,” Dr. Rolly Cruz, the QC Epidemiology and Diseases and Surveillance Unit head, said. 

“Hindi din alam ng barangay na meron palang nag ka-quarantine doon,” he added.   

However, the LGU said contact tracing efforts will not be easy as weeks have passed since the patient was tested on January 17.

“Masyado nang matagal ‘yung mga pangyayari, na-expose ‘yung mga tao,” he said.

Citing the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, Belmonte said that it is punishable by law if a COVID-19 case is not reported to authorities. — with Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News

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