Granular lockdown pilot testing in MM to have 4 levels

MANILA – The granular lockdown set to be pilot-tested starting Wednesday in several areas in Metro Manila will have four levels that determine the activities allowed.

In an interview Sunday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said the pilot testing would be carried out until Sept. 30 and assessed every two weeks.

“Titingnan natin kung gaano ito ka-effective. Ia-assess natin ito then pagka nakita natin (We will assess how effective this is), then it would be recommended for adoption, for approval by the President by end of the month,” Año said.

Only certain areas such as barangays, streets or subdivisions identified as high risk for the coronavirus would be placed under a granular lockdown, unlike community quarantines declared for an entire region or province, he added.

The strictest is Alert Level 4 where no one would be allowed to go out of their homes except healthcare workers. “‘Yung all the rest, wala nang APOR dyan bawal na talaga lahat. Kung may establishment na napasok sa loob ng street na ‘yan o kaya nung block na ‘yan, stop din ‘yun,” Ano said.

Under Alert Level 3, only 30 percent of residents would be allowed to go out and 50 percent under Level 2, Año said.

Alert Level 1 would have the least restriction under the new normal.

Meantime, Philippine National Police chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, had given instructions to police commanders in Metro Manila for the granular lockdown pilot testing.

Some local government units in the National Capital Region have already implemented granular lockdowns in their respective areas.

Based on PNP data, there are 51 barangays in Metro Manila currently under granular lockdown.

Metro Manila will be under general community quarantine from Sept. 8 to 30, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced Monday. 

From Aug. 6 to 20, Metro Manila was placed under the strictest enhanced community quarantine amid the rise in cases of the highly infectious Delta coronavirus variant. (with Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)