16 areas in NCR under granular lockdown

MANILA, Philippines — The number of areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) under granular lockdown due to COVID-19 has climbed to 16.

In a report yesterday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said the locked down areas in the NCR reached 16 on Monday, a jump from just one area on Sunday.

Fourteen of the areas under lockdown are located in northern Metro Manila, followed by one each in Manila and southern Metro Manila.

The PNP said 20 households or 57 people are affected by the lockdowns.

Twenty-six police officers and 41 force multipliers are securing the locked down areas, the PNP said.

Seven other areas – six in Mimaropa and one in the Cordilleras – were placed under granular lockdown due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, affecting seven households.

The PNP said 3,794 people were apprehended in Metro Manila for disregarding minimum public health standards on the first day of the implementation of Alert Level 3 in the region.

Meanwhile, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said imposing localized lockdowns amid the threat posed by the Omicron variant is key to economic recovery.

Salceda also called on the national government and local government units to provide incentives to barangays with the most number of vaccinated residents.

“The government may give incentives to families that could have all eligible members vaccinated,” he said.

Salceda said barangay health workers should also be given incentives for encouraging unvaccinated individuals to get COVID-19 jabs.

“They are underpaid and are the backbone of the government’s COVID-19 response,” he said.