Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19) — The Quezon City government said it now has six areas under “special concern lockdown” after adding four more to the list, as it grapples with a spike in COVID-19 infections following the holiday season.
In a statement on Tuesday, city officials announced lockdowns on No. 62 Agno Extension in Brgy. Tatalon; No. 1 Salary Street in Brgy. Sangandaan; No. 54 Interior, Magsalin Street in Brgy. Apolonio Samson; and 9C, 9D, 97 La Felonila Street in Brgy. Damayang Lagi.
Around 275 families live in these sections — 60 in Agno Extension, five in Salary Street, 60 in Magsalin Street (including 14 index cases), and 150 families in La Felonila Street.
“All families in these areas will undergo swab testing in order to identify other infected individuals,” said Dr. Rolly Cruz, City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit Head.
The areas of MCP HOA and a portion of Pingkian 1 in Barangay Pasong Tamo have also been under tighter quarantine restrictions since Jan. 7 and Jan. 14, respectively, the officials said.
The statement did not say how many cases have been recorded in the newly locked down sections, but as of Jan. 17 the city’s official Facebook page listed a total of 29,276 infections, with 1,097 active or currently ill patients.
On Jan. 16, a Quezon City resident who flew in from the United Arab Emirates became the country’s first case of the new COVID-19 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. The government has since isolated 143 close contacts of the individual but no new cases of the variant have been detected yet.
