The total number of areas in the Summer Capital under granular lockdown and the barangays where these are located have increased slightly according to City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) chief Antonette Anaban.
In the virtual management committee meeting, October 12, of local officials led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Anaban said that from October 5 to 11, 19 areas in 14 barangays are on lockdown as part of the city’s ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 Delta variant contingency plan’s key result areas as compared to 18 areas in 13 barangays from September 28 to October 4.
However, this is still far less than the 36 areas in 20 barangays locked down from September 21 to 27; 58 areas in 41 barangays, September 14 to 20; and 62 areas in 42 barangays under lock down from September 7 to 13.
She said the relative decline in lock downs ties up with the report of Health Services Office (HSO) head Dr. Rowena Galpo that the number of covid-19 recoveries in the city have increased prompting the lifting of lock down orders.
The Mayor’s directive for facility isolation instead of home quarantine for those tested positive whose houses are not suitable for isolation purposes also added to the decrease, Anaban said, with some volunteering to have themselves isolated in the facilities.
She said the city will continue to impose granular lockdowns on its puroks, streets, establishments, houses, or compounds that are found to have critical clusters of Covid-19 infections and low compliance to minimum public health standards.
The lockdowns will allow authorized and trained personnel to conduct contact tracing and disinfection activities and also prevent the possible spread of infection, Anaban said.
She said the city government will stockpile and preposition food packs for locked down areas.
Procurement of food packs will be taken from the city’s P1 million quick response fund and P5 million supplemental budget, Anaban said.
If needed, food packs may also be requested from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, she added.-Gaby B. Keith