LIST: Manila, QC impose lockdowns in several areas after COVID-19 surge

Barangay 315, Zone 35 in the city of Manila will be subjected to a hard lockdown beginning 12 midnight on March 11, Thursday. According to the Manila Health Department, there were 12 active cases of COVID-19 recorded in the area. Screengrab from Radyo Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — The city governments of Manila and Quezon City on Tuesday have placed several areas under localized lockdown in a bid to address the increasing number of COVID-19 infections.

Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno, through Executive Order No. 06, has placed the following barangays and hotels under lockdown starting March 11, 12:01 a.m. until March 14, 11:59 p.m.:

Barangay 351 in San Lazaro, Tayuman
Barangay 725 in Malate
Barangay 699, Malate Bayview Mansion
Barangay 699, Hop Inn Hotel

In a Facebook Live, Moreno explained that the listed areas were tagged as areas of concern since they have more than 10 cases of COVID-19 in their localities.

According to him, Barangay 351 has 12 active cases and Barangay 725 has 14 active cases. On the other hand, there were 14 confirmed cases in Malate Bayview Mansion while Hop Inn Hotel has three detected cases.

Under the EO, residents will be restricted to their homes and are not allowed to go outside.

However, Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR) are exempted from the order and will be allowed to leave their homes.

These include:

• health workers
• military personnel
• service workers (pharmacies, drug stores, and funeral homes)
• utility workers (energy, cable, internet, telecommunication companies, water, sanitation, and critical transport facilities including port operation)
• essential workers (goods delivery, food delivery, banking, and money services)
• barangay officials (Chairpersons, Barangay Secretary, Barangay Treasurers, Kagawads, and Executive Officers)
• media practitioners accredited by the Presidential Communications Operations Office and the Inter-Agency Task Force.

As of Tuesday, the Manila Health Department (MHD) has recorded around 154 new active cases, bringing the total number of active cases in the city to 988.

The MHD also reported 74 new recoveries and 2 new deaths were tallied by the MHD, bringing the total number of recoveries and deaths at 27,639 and 817, respectively.

Meanwhile, the local government of Quezon City said that 12 areas – not entire barangays or villages – have been placed under a 14-day special concern lockdown due to a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases in the city.

The special concern lockdown areas tagged by the city government are:

• A portion of Durian Street in Barangay Pasong Tamo – starting February 25
• L. Pascual Street in Barangay Baesa – starting February 26
• De Los Santos Compound, Heavenly Drive in Barangay San Agustin – starting March 1
• No. 49 and 51 E Rodriguez Sr. Ave. in Barangay Doña Josefa – starting March 4
• Paul Street and Thaddeus Street, Jordan Park Homes Subdivision, Doña Carmen in Barangay Commonwealth – starting March 4
• No. 237 Apo Street in Barangay Maharlika – starting March 4
• No. 64 14th Avenue in Barangay Socorro – starting March 6
• No. 64-B Agno Extension in Barangay Tatalon – starting March 7
• No. 90 Gonzales Compound, Barangay Balon Bato – starting March 8
• No. 2A-4 K-6th in Barangay West Kamias – starting March 8
• A portion of Sitio 5, Jose Abad Santos in Barangay Sta. Lucia – starting March 9
• No. 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50 K-9th Street in Barangay West Kamias – starting March 8

According to the Quezon City government, a total of 472 families were affected by this partial lockdown.

The local government, meanwhile, gave assurance that food packs and essential kits will be distributed to affected families who should undergo swab testing and mandatory 14-day quarantine.

“With the alarming surge in numbers the past few days, it is imperative to place areas with clustered cases under lockdown to control the possibility of widespread transmission in our barangays,” Quezon City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU) Head Dr. Rolly Cruz said in a statement on Tuesday.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered local authorities, including city, police, and barangay officials, to strictly implement ordinances that would curb the spread of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes respiratory ailment COVID-19, amid a quick rise in the number of infections in recent days.

In a memorandum dated March 8, 2021, Belmonte said the noticeable rush in the number of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila “warrants for a more stringent implementation of existing ordinances and issuances” that, among others, call for the obligatory wearing of face masks and face shields in public places in order to stop the spread of the disease in Quezon City.

“This memorandum shall be strictly implemented by all Punong Barangays, QCPD Director and Police Station Commanders, and the Law and Order Cluster of the City Government,” Belmonte said.

EDV