13 villages on Occidental Mindoro’s Lubang Island on lockdown due to surge in COVID-19 cases

CITY OF CALAPAN––Thirteen villages in Lubang town on an island of the same name in Occidental Mindoro are on lockdown until Oct. 8 due to rising cases of COVID-19.

Mayor Michael Orayani explained the need for the lockdown in a phone interview Tuesday morning: “Cases rise, our contact tracing continues; doctors, nurses, midwives, barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, barangay officials, councilors, barangay police, and government officials are very tired.”

The Inter-agency Task Force of Lubang requested a localized lockdown or classification of Critical Zone or Enhanced Community Quarantine, which was approved Sept. 25 by the IATF of Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan).

The villages on lockdown are Vigo, Maliig, Likas ng Silangan, Ninikat ng Pag-Asa, Araw At Butuin, Paraiso, Banaag Ng Pag-asa, Bagong Sikat, Maginhawa, Tangal, Tagbac, Cabra and Maligaya.

Since the pandemic broke out last year, Lubang has reported 115 cases, of which 44 are active, 70 are recoveries, and one death, as of the town tracker on Monday night.

Occidental Mindoro has reported 3,812 cases, of which 764 are active, 2,896 are recoveries, and 152 are deaths as of Sept. 27.

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