Cebu City creates task force to combat Mpox

Local

WITH four suspected cases of Mpox under investigation, Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has formed a dedicated inter-agency task force to prevent a potential outbreak.

Garcia announced on Monday, June 2, that he had signed an executive order establishing the “Inter-Agency Task Force Against Mpox,” which will lead the city’s efforts in surveillance, prevention, and response to the viral infection.

The mayor said the task force will ensure all necessary precautions are in place as health authorities closely monitor the suspected cases.

“The City Government of Cebu acknowledges the recent confirmation of mpox cases within the Visayas region, including cases in Talisay City, Iloilo City, and Iloilo Province, and a suspected case in Mandaue City, as reported by local health authorities,” the executive order stated.

Garcia will chair the task force, with the City Health Department as vice chairperson and the Office of the City Administrator as co-vice chairperson.

Other members include the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Health, Hospital Services, and Sanitation; Business Permits and Licensing Office; Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office; Department of Social Welfare and Services; Cebu City Medical Center; Local School Board; Public Information Office; and the Barangay Affairs Office.

National agencies such as the Department of Health and the Department of Education will also be enjoined.

The City Health Department, in coordination with the Cebu City Medical Center, is directed to oversee the monitoring of mpox cases and submit daily reports to the mayor or city administrator.

It must also prepare an Mpox Emergency Plan in coordination with the disaster risk reduction office.

The Public Information Office is tasked to “intensify information campaigns to spread awareness on mpox prevention and mitigation measures,” while the city council’s health committee will recommend ordinances or resolutions that may address mpox concerns.

The Office of the City Administrator is instructed to “identify and mobilize the necessary resources, including but not limited to funds, personnel, and equipment to be maintained for the purposes required under this Executive Order.”

All Cebu City Government offices are mandated to implement the orders, findings, and issuances under these directives in their respective jurisdiction.

Funding will be sourced from the city’s annual or supplemental budgets or other available funds, in compliance with auditing rules. The EO is effective immediately and will remain in force until revoked.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas has confirmed six mpox cases in the region between March and April. Of the six confirmed cases, five patients have recovered, while one fatality has been reported.

The cases were recorded in Cebu City, Cebu Province, Talisay City, Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City.

Talisay Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas announced that a local resident tested positive for mpox but emphasized that the patient did not succumb to the virus.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Mandaue are closely monitoring a 39-year-old man suspected of having Mpox.

The patient is currently under home isolation as they await confirmatory test results.

In Lapu-Lapu, Dr. Agnes Realiza reported that a 27-year-old man experiencing fever, rashes, and muscle pain is also in home isolation pending test outcomes.(MyTVCebu)