THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday night said more than 400 areas in 272 barangays all over the country are under granular lockdown to control the transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
During President Duterte’s Talk to the People forum on Tuesday night, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año reported that the 413 areas are in 272 barangays in 46 cities and municipalities.
Año, a key member of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, said the localized lockdowns are affecting 7,000 households or 29,000 individuals.
In the National Capital Region, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, Año said only 35 areas are under granular lockdown, affecting 148 households.
The PNP figures were different from that of the DILG. It said that only 324 areas in 241 barangays within 43 cities and municipalities nationwide are under granular lockdown as of Tuesday.
It said these lockdowns are affecting 1,431 households or 3,434 individuals.
The PNP also said there are only 33 areas in NCR that are locked down, affecting 125 households or 348 individuals.
Meanwhile, the PNP said it has recorded 206,085 quarantine violators who were caught from Nov. 5 to 9 throughout the country. Of this number, 38,681 were accosted last Tuesday.
Of the violators, 179,553 were caught for violation of minimum public health standards (MPHS); 18,942 for curfew violation; and 7,590 non-Authorized Persons Outside Residence.
The PNP said 166,654 of the violators were merely warned, 27,455 were fined, and 11,976 were brought to police stations for filing of charges.
In the NCR, the PNP said 44,667 violators were accosted during the same period – 42,080 for MPHS violation and 2,587 for curfew. Of the violators, 28,186 were warned, 15,191 were fined and 1,290 were brought to the police stations for filing of cases.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has already provided P29 million worth of family food and relief packs to households that have been affected by the granular lockdowns in Metro Manila and other regions covered by the alert level system.
DSWD assistant secretary and spokeswoman Glenda Relova said 47,875 family food packs have been distributed as of November 8 to augment the assistance provided by local government units of affected areas.
Under the Alert level system, LGUs in affected areas will provide the relief packs to covered for the first 14 days, while the DSWD will provide the food packs on the second 14 days and for every extension thereafter.
The Alert Level system was pilot tested in Metro Manila in September and has been extended to Baguio City and Regions III (Central Luzon), VI (western Visayas) and X (Northern Mindanao) in November.
Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon yesterday took exception to the pronouncement of President Duterte that the Philippines is winning the war against COVID-19.
“I am happy to hear that. However, I think it is a bit too early to tell, especially when a recent survey done by Bloomberg showed that the Philippines is among the least resilient countries and therefore, the worst place to be in during the pandemic. We are facing a long road to recovery,” Drilon said in his opening statement as the Senate started plenary discussions on the proposed P5.024-trillion national budget for 2022.
President Duterte on Tuesday night said the country is winning the fight against COVID-19 as he cited the decrease in infection rates the past days.
“Let us celebrate all our meaningful victories against COVID-19 pandemic. We are winning our battle against the virus. Let us continue to be safe and in good health,” Duterte has said when he received the arrival of some 2.8 million doses of Russia-made Sputnik V vaccines procured by the government.
Drilon said COVID-19 has “devastating effects on the economy” and it will take time before the government can truly declare that it has won the fight against the pandemic.
“I think it is difficult to dispute that our country’s recovery is still in limbo. Whatever we have accomplished thus far can be reversed when COVID-19 cases rise again or a more contagious virus enters the country,” he said.
Drilon said the national budget should prioritize the needs of the health sector and the purchase of vaccines for its long-term fight against the coronavirus. — With Jocelyn Montemayor, Raymond Africa and Gerard Naval
