Photo from Muntilupa City PIO
MANILA, Philippines — The Muntinlupa City government has placed another area under a 15-day localized lockdown amid an “alarming surge” in COVID-19 cases and transmission.
Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi said Building 2 in BLISS Complex, Barangay Putatan will undergo the extreme localized community quarantine or ELCQ from 6:00 p.m., August 23 to September 7. He said this area registered a rise in COVID-19 cases, a high attack rate, and a narrow doubling time record.
BLISS is a residential complex consisting of seven buildings. The ELCQ over Building 2 brings the total number of areas under localized lockdown in the city to eight.
According to the city health office, 13 people are now ill with COVID-19 in Building 2 as of August 23. Some 16 families or 80 individuals reside in Building 2, it added.
The city health office also said it recorded a spike in the community’s attack rate from 375 per 10,000 population last week to a current record of 1,625 per 1,000 population, and that the time it takes for the number of cases to double or so-called doubling time in the community has also narrowed to three days.
Muntinlupa health office chief Juancho Bunyi said most members of the community did not observe minimum health protocols such as wearing face masks and physical distancing.
Bunyi also said they are set to reinforce mass testing and contact tracing in the area while the city police will enforce security measures.
“Panik-panaog ang mga tao doon sa building, come and go ang mga residente. May naitala rin tayong high risk group gaya ng senior citizens at mga batang 5 years old pababa kaya inirekomenda nating ilagay sa lockdown,” Bunyi pointed out.
Fresnedi said the move to impose ELCQ in Building 2 BLISS Complex is expected to contain the further spread of COVID-19 not only in the area but also in the whole of Muntinlupa City.
The City Social Service Department and Barangay Putatan would provide food packs and other basic items for the affected Building 2 residents while the ELCQ is in effect there.
READ: Number of areas under localized lockdown in Muntinlupa now at 7
Other areas in Muntinlupa City that are under ELCQ are Building 17 in Filinvest Socialized Housing, Barangay Alabang, from August 19-September 2; Angelo St., Horrileno St., Endencia St., Paredes St., and Barrera St. in Katarungan Village in Barangay Poblacion from August 19-September 2; Purok 3, Molera Compound in Barangay Sucat and Purok 7, Beatriz Compound, De Mesa L & B Street in Barangay Alabang from August 6-27; Block 8, Hills View and Mangga St., Lakeview Homes in Barangay Putatan from August 12-26; and Chico St., Laguerta in Barangay Tunasan from August 10-25.
As of August 22, Muntinlupa City has recorded 17,946 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of this total, 15,495 were recovered patients, 2,028 were active cases, and 423 were fatalities.
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