Barangay lockdown an option when MM transitions from MECQ to GCQ — DILG
Published May 25, 2020, 12:13 PM
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday said that the lockdown in high-risk barangays may be an option in the event Metro Manila transitions from the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) to the less restrictive General Community Quarantine (GCQ) after May 31.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said the scheme is “more applicable” to restart the economy in the area and make the residents acclimatize to the “new normal” with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic still affecting countries worldwide.
He said that this is the most likely course of action which was started on May 16 as the local government units (LGUs) and the citizens responded well to the government’s quarantine protocols that were enforced to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Año reminded the public that ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine), MECQ, or GCQ, all require the wearing of face masks, social distancing, observing curfew hours, staying home as much as possible, and proper hygiene.
With the selective lockdowns, Año, in an interview with ABS-CBN, said that a selective barangay lockdown will help the government to target specific locations that are in dire need of attention in dealing with COVID-19.
Año said selective lockdown in high risk places may not be limited only to the barangays but to the streets, alleys, compounds, subdivisions, neighborhood, and other similar sections.
In these lockdown areas, Año said that more law enforcers will be on stand-by to prevent anyone from entering and leaving these places.
Año explained that areas under selective lockdown have high cases of COVID-19 which will be referred to as critical zones, while the adjacent barangays will be called contained zones.
He added that the other surrounding areas with no confirmed COVID-19 cases will be identified as buffer zones.
