(Eagle News) — Over 100 areas nationwide are under a localized lockdown, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said on Friday, June 26.
In a statement, Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said of the 112, 67 are in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR); 18 in the National Capital Region, 19 in Cebu City; one each in Cavite, Quezon Province, Leyte; and five in Cagayan de Oro City.
Malaya said in CAR, the localized lockdown covers seven municipalities, 51 barangays, one purok, one subdivision, two buildings, and five zones within Mountain Province, Apayao, Kalinga, Ifugao, Abra, Benguet, and Baguio City.
In Metro Manila, Malaya said four areas in Quezon City are under the localized quarantine; nine in Parañaque City; two in Caloocan City; and one each in Muntinlupa City, Navotas City, and Malabon City.
In Cebu City, the DILG said there are 19 containment zones including Sambag II, Punta Princesa, Tejero, and Inayawan.
Barangays Sambag II, Kamputhaw, Mabolo, Sambag 1, Guadalupe, Basak San Nicolas, Lahug, Tinago, Tisa, Ermita, Duljo Fatima, and Tejero have been identified as Cebu City hotspots and are under a strict lockdown.
“Localized lockdown is like hitting COVID-19 at its source which has been proven to be effective especially in the 112 areas where it is currently being implemented. It really works since the hot zones areas are secluded from the rest of the community, hence, stopping the transmission to other communities,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said.
According to Malaya, the national task force “saw the need for an LGU-led containment strategy where LGUs could monitor the pandemic more accurately in their respective areas and allow them to adopt a calibrated response that can adapt to emerging conditions in their areas, enabling them to stay ahead of the outbreak trajectory.”
He reminded LGUs implementing the lockdown, however, that they should have organized quick response teams which will carry out the test-trace-treat strategy against COVID-19.
“Mahirap din naman ‘yun basta-basta lang tayo magdeclare ng localized lockdown with no system in place,” Malaya said.
