MARIVELES, Bataan –– Nine villages in the so-called “lower Mariveles” here may be placed on a hard lockdown following a surge in the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the area, officials said.
But Bataan Gov. Albert Garcia said the move has yet to be approved by the national inter-agency task force on emerging infectious diseases.
Records from the provincial health office showed that over 300 COVID-19 cases were recorded in the said villages.
Garcia said the community transmission was traced to overseas Filipino workers, locally stranded individuals, and authorized persons outside residence.
According to Garcia, the operations of some factories at the Freeport Area of Bataan may also suffer after several workers there tested positive for the virus after a series of swab tests.
To date, 549 COVID-19 cases were recorded in this town based on the records released by the provincial capitol.