Manila village heads allowed to declare lockdown

BY MINKA TIANGCO

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has authorized barangay heads to enforce lockdown in areas with 10 or more active cases of the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Domagoso’s directive is contained in Executive Order (EO) No. 12 which he signed on Wednesday.

An area with 10 or more active cases will be placed under Critical Zone Containment, according to the EO.

In a live broadcast on Facebook, Domagoso said he made the order to hasten the process of locking down certain areas in the city to contain the spread of infection.

The order placing barangays under lockdown must be forwarded to the Manila mayor within three hours for his confirmation.

The Manila Health Department (MHD) must also verify the status of COVID-19 cases in the barangays before a lockdown is imposed.

Residents of the barangay must be given at least two days to prepare for the lockdown.

All residents under the barangays to be placed under lockdown shall be strictly confined to their residences.

Health workers, military personnel, service workers (pharmacies, drug stores, and funeral homes), utility workers (energy, cable, internet, telecommunication companies, water, sanitation, and critical transport facilities including port operation), essential workers (goods delivery, food delivery, banking and money services), barangay officials (Chairpersons, Barangay Secretary, Barangay Treasurers, Kagawads, and Executive Officers), and media practitioners accredited by the Presidential Communications Operations Office and the Inter-Agency Task Force are exempted from the order.

Barangay officials and the police will be deployed to ensure the proper implementation of the lockdown.

In March, 31 areas in the capital city were placed under four-day lockdowns by the city government amid an increase of COVID-19 cases. (Minka Tiangco)