10 barangays in Navotas go on lockdown starting May 23

MANILA, Philippines – Starting Saturday, May 23, the city of Navotas will place under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) its 10 barangays with the highest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases.  

In a media bulletin and Facebook announcement, the city government said placing the following barangays under stricter measures was approved by the regional inter-agency task force on coronavirus response:  

• Daanghari
• NBBN
• NBBS Dagat-Dagatan
• NBBS Kaunlaran
• NBBS Proper
• San Jose
• San Roque
• Sipac Almacen
• Tangos North
• Tangos South 

The lockdown will start at 5:01 am on Saturday and will be in effect until May 31 at 11:59 pm. 

“We already have 138 cases of COVID-19. We need to double our efforts to slow down the increase of cases in our city,” Mayor Toby Tiangco said. 

He didn’t say how many cases are in the 10 barangays to be locked down.

“Through the ECQ and by implementing a barangay-based scheduling, we hope to reduce the number of people who go out of their homes at a given time and lower the risk of them contracting COVID-19 or them transmitting the disease to others,” he added. 

The rest of Navotas will remain under the less stringent modified ECQ status, where select types of business can operate at 50% capacity.  

Rules in the other barangays include the following: 

• Only one person per household will have a home quarantine pass (HQP). 
• The HQP can only be used on the market days of one’s barangay. 
• Vulnerable sectors, like the elderly and children, can only go out during emergencies.
• Those who go out of their homes should wear face masks.
• Avoid forming groups or crowds. 
• Keep a physical distance of one meter to two meters from other people. 

One cluster of barangays is allowed to go to the market Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; the other cluster of barangays, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Public markets are closed on Sundays for cleaning and disinfection. 

“Essential workers or those exempted by the IATF, including those who work at the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority, will be allowed to go to work provided they bring a valid company ID or a certificate of employment,” Mayor Tiangco said. – Rappler.com