Third Muntinlupa community under lockdown

MANILA, Philippines — The city government of Muntinlupa has placed another community under lockdown due to an increase in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the area.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi on Monday signed Executive Order No. 22, which placed Block 35 Excess Lot in Soldiers’ Hills Village, Barangay Putatan under an enhanced localized community quarantine.

The lockdown, which started yesterday, would run until July 7.

The city health office (CHO), as of June 21, recorded 10 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the area – one of the highest among Muntinlupa’s communities.

Aside from the 10 confirmed cases, the CHO said it is still waiting for the swab results of eight probable cases.

The city government said the residents of the community would receive additional relief food packs and other basic supplies during the lockdown.

The CHO would also conduct mass testing in the community and intensify the detection, isolation and treatment strategies to effectively curb and control the spread of the virus.

The area, which is the third community placed under an extreme localized quarantine in the city, is a congested community, home to 219 families.

The community recorded a doubling time of COVID-19 cases at 4.82 days. It also has a high attack rate of 11.5 cases per 1,000 individuals, the CHO said.

The city earlier placed Morning Breeze Homes in Alabang under lockdown from June 3 to 16.

Sitio Pagkakaisa, Zone 3 Interior in Barangay Sucat was also placed under lockdown, which would be lifted on June 26.

Muntinlupa City has 345 confirmed cases with 229 recoveries, 80 active cases, 36 reported deaths, 52 suspect cases and 305 probable cases as of June 22.

Pasay eases curfew

Meanwhile, Pasay Mayor Emi Rubiano signed on June 19 Ordinance No. 6114, which cut short the city’s curfew hours. Copies were given to members of media yesterday.

Under the measure, the new curfew would be from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The old curfew started at 8 p.m.

In a statement, Rubiano said the adjustment would help businesses recover from losses they sustained when Metro Manila was placed under enhanced community quarantine in March.

“We still have to observe health guidelines even as we stretch the number of operating hours for our local businesses as well as the travel time window for our city’s working population and those on important errands,” she said.

Other local government units eased their curfew hours after the national government extended the general community quarantine in Metro Manila to June 30.