THE Department of Health clarified that information spreading on social media about the lockdowns because of mpox is nothing but fake news.

In a statement released on their Facebook page, DOH said that despite the recent headlines of new active cases of mpox, this number remains low. In fact, there were more mpox cases in 2024 than this year.

The agency also reiterated that there is still no Clade I-b strain of mpox in the country. The active cases at the moment are the Clade II strain which has a low mortality rate of one out of 10, compared to Clade I-b’s four to five.

According also to the Health Department, there is no need for lockdowns as mpox is not an airborne disease.

The agency also warns the Filipino people about malicious social media posts containing suspicious marketing strategies, fake endorsements from experts, and false statements regarding health. Instead, they encourage netizens to follow only their official Facebook page and report fake ones.

DOH assures the public that they continue to work with different local government units to provide proper medical service to confirmed and suspected cases of mpox.

Meanwhile, some localities declared mandatory wearing of face masks. These are Davao del Sur province, health facilities of Cotabato province, Compostela, Davao de Oro, and Maasin City, Leyte.