Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) — An entire building floor can be placed under lockdown over a single case, based on the guidelines for the pilot testing of the new COVID-19 alert level system in Metro Manila, Paranaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez said Wednesday.
“Mayroon pong guidelines na binigay po sa amin po diyan ng DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government),” Olivarez, who is also Metro Manila Council chairman, said in a Laging Handa briefing.
[Translation: DILG gave us guidelines on this.]
“Katulad po sa isang floor ng isang condominium…basta magkaroon lang po ng isa pong case po doon, iyong mismong isang floor na iyon ay pwede na nating ilockdown po iyan,” he said.
[Translation: For instance, in a condominium floor — in case it records a single case, the entire floor can already be locked down.]
The same could be applied to households, he added.
Meanwhile, two cases could trigger a street lockdown, the mayor said.
“Kapag po sa isang kalsada, sa isang sitio po, mag-dalawa lang po ng case po doon ay pwede na po magkaroon ng lockdown po diyan para po ma-implement ‘yung ating mass testing, iyong contact tracing pati po isolation,” he said.
[Translation: When it comes to streets, sitios (area within a village), they can be locked down over two cases to give way to the implementation of mass testing, contact tracing, and isolation.]
Food packs will be given to affected residents during the granular lockdown period, but there will be no financial assistance.
Metro Manila will shift to a new version of general community quarantine (GCQ) starting Sept. 16. It will be under GCQ with Alert Level 4 for the second half of the month. Under Alert Level 4, persons below 18 years old and over 65 years old, those with comorbidities, and pregnant women are not allowed to leave their homes for non-essential activities.
EXPLAINER: What you need to know about the COVID-19 alert level system in NCR
