Granular lockdown areas reach 900, mostly in Cordillera: PNP

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said the number of areas under granular lockdown across the country has climbed to 900, amid a continued surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections.

This is a slight increase from only 700 areas as of Sunday, based on the latest data of the police force.

Most of the areas under granular lockdown are in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at 330, followed by Ilocos Region at 233; Cagayan Valley, 212; National Capital Region, 106; and Mimaropa, 19.

From January 21 to 31, three CAR provinces — Kalinga, Ifugao, and Mountain Province — are under Alert Level 4.

An escalation to Alert Level 4 means an area has reached more than 70 percent in healthcare utilization rate, and alarmingly high two-week growth and average daily attack rates (ADAR).

Some 211 PNP personnel and 443 force multipliers were deployed to the affected areas to ensure security and adherence to minimum health standards.

Under the Alert Level System rules, local government units (LGUs) decide whether or not to impose or lift a granular lockdown on a house, compound, street, or building based on the number of reported infections.