Increase in Covid cases prompts city to impose first Purok-wide lockdown in months

The city government on Jan. 15 placed some areas in Pacdal barangay under a purok-wide lockdown, the first wide-scale lockdown issued by the city in months.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the order which took effect from Jan. 15-19 aimed to contain and manage the increasing cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Maria Basa and Regidor. 

In recent months, the city’s lockdown orders had been limited to the household or workplace of the positive cases.

The city has maintained the imposition of lockdowns as a control measure against the disease.

Usually, the orders only cover households and workplaces of the patients but special cases such as uncontrolled increase and overt and repeated violations of health protocols by residents are given wider scope lockdowns based on the recommendations of the medical officers.

Wide-scale lockdowns however had evolved from the hard lockdown implemented at the start of the pandemic.

The duration was shortened and Authorized Persons Outside of Residences were excluded from the coverage.  A member of each affected family is now allowed to go out to buy necessities. – Aileen P. Refuerzo