The local government of San Carlos City warned COVID-19 positive individuals of possible charges if they hide or refuse to state their whereabouts during contact tracing.
Councilor Wilmer Yap, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) incident commander, in a recent meeting, said that any person found violating Republic Act No. 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act will be held accountable, and be penalized with a fine of not less than P20,000 but not more than P50,000 or imprisonment of not less than one month but not more than six months, or both at the discretion of the proper court.
Yap, in a press statement, reiterated that withholding information especially about their close contacts will likely lead to the spread of the disease by exposing others to the risk of infection.
EOC members had earlier expressed their concern regarding several instances of individuals who deliberately withheld data of their exposure and travel history.
They also advised the contact tracers to further strengthen the tracing of individuals who are exposed to confirmed COVID-19 patients.
COVID-19 positive individuals are encouraged to be truthful in providing information about their whereabouts and potential exposure for easier contact tracing and to avert further transmission, Yap said.*