Entire building in Navotas public housing site under lockdown

MANILA, Philippines — Building 4 in Navotaas Homes-2 in Barangay Tanza 2 was placed under lockdown after the surge of positive cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the area.

Navotaas — a public housing project — is a ply on the city’s name and the Tagalog word “taas,” meaning “up” or “an elevated place.”

On Saturday night, Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco announced on Twitter that the lockdown would be enforced from Sept. 6 at 5:01 a.m. to Sept. 19 at 11:59 p.m.

According to Tiangco, he ordered the lockdown after 25 residents of the building tested positive for the respiratory disease last August.

Pinirmahan po natin ang Executive Order No. TMT-046, series of 2020, na nagtatakda ng lockdown sa Building 4 ng NavotaAs Homes-2 sa Brgy. Tanza 2 mula 6 September, 5:01am, hanggang 19 September, 11:59pm. pic.twitter.com/I047JGGVJW

— Toby Tiangco (@TobyTiangco) September 5, 2020

All other residents of the building were also subjected to swab tests, Tiangco added.

The city would provide all residents of Building 4 with food packs.

Essential workers will be allowed to work if they are negative in swab tests and if they have a valid certificate of employment or a company ID.

They will have to follow strict health protocols when going to work, Tiangco stressed.

That means wearing masks, observing 2-meter social distancing, avoiding crowded places, and frequent washing of hands.

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