By Patrick de Jesus
The Valenzuela City local government closed a branch of a convenience store in Barangay Ugong after its personnel failed to implement the use of the ValTrace contact tracing app and violated other health and safety protocols against COVID-19.
The city’s Business Inspection and Audit Team served the closure order yesterday.
Two other branches of convenience stores in Barangays Bagbaguin and Paso de Blas were also closed on Tuesday for the same violation.
“I met them personally a couple of times to explain the minimum health standards lalo na [especially] ValTrace,” Mayor Rex Gatchalian wrote in a tweet. “We warned them and gave them so many chances… pero kung ayaw talaga sumunod [but if they really don’t want to comply], no choice but to do this.”
ValTrace is the city’s official contact tracing platform which requires businesses and residents to use it through a QR code. A “no QR code, no entry policy” must be enforced in entering establishments in the city.
As of March 25, Valenzuela City has a total of 12,120 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 950 of which are active cases
