Isko Moreno imposes 48-hour ‘hard lockdown’ on Sampaloc over rising COVID-19 cases
Update
MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Tuesday announced that Sampaloc would be placed under a 48-hour “hard lockdown” due to rising coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the district.
Moreno, in a Facebook live video, said that the lockdown would be from 8 p.m. of April 23, 2020 until 8 p.m. of April 25.
The Mayor said the shutdown of the entire Sampaloc is “for purposes of disease surveillance, verification or testing and rapid risk assessment in relation to COVID-19.”
The “hard lockdown” was imposed through an executive order signed by Moreno.
The order comes as the Manila local government reported 99 COVID-19 cases in the Sampaloc District, as well as 159 suspected cases, as of 5 p.m. on Monday.
As per the executive order, all Sampaloc residents are restricted from going out of their homes, except for the following:
-healthcare workers,
-police and military personnel,
-government employees,
-service workers (pharmacies, drug stores, and death care service establishments),
-barangay officials and
-media practitioners accredited by the Presidential Communications Operations Office and the Inter-Agency Task Force”
“All other commercials, industrial, retail, institutional and other activities not mentioned in above exemptions in the said district shall be suspended within the specified period of the shutdown,” the executive order read.
The order added that station commanders in Sampaloc are directed to “employ and deploy officers and personnel in strategic locations and areas in the district necessary for the effective implementation of the shutdown.”
There will be eight control points upon the implementation of the “hard lockdown” located in España Boulevard, Ramon Magsaysay Road, Lacson Avenue/Loreto St. intersection, Quezon Boulevard/Recto intersection, Lacson Avenue/Dimasalang St. intersection and Blumentritt/Retiro intersection.
Image: Courtesy of the Manila Public Information Office
“Command Center will be at Ramon Magsaysay High School, as per Manila Police District Station 4,” the Manila Public Information Office said in a statement.
As of Monday, Manila has a total of 458 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 51 have died while 58 managed to recover.
Meanwhile, the Philippines has a total of 6,459 positive coronavirus cases, with 428 fatalities and 613 recoveries also as of Monday.
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