Nograles suggests special concern lockdowns for 25 QC barangays

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Friday said he is recommending to the Quezon City government the implementation of special concern lockdowns in 25 more barangays with high COVID-19 incidence.

Nograles, who was assigned to oversee pandemic response for Quezon City along with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, said local officials had been doing special concern lockdowns of streets, puroks, and condominiums with clustering of cases.

"Mayroon kaming mga barangay that we went through na baka puwede rin po tayo magkaroon ng special concern lockdowns, which they've promised naman to take a look at," Nograles said in an interview on ANC.

Nograles said among the 25 barangays which can be considered "hotspots" due to increasing COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks are the following:

• Tandang Sora
• Commonwealth
• Holy Spirit
• Novaliches Proper
• Pasong Tamo
• Crame
• Payatas
• Socorro
• Matandang Balara
• Pinyahan
• San Roque

He underscored that implementing localized lockdowns is part of national and local governments' six-point priorities in Quezon City that has around 8,000 active cases as of today.

Putting up "'checkpoints" in some thoroughfares in Quezon City is also part of the plan to ensure that those passing its boundaries are not potential carriers of the virus, according to the Cabinet Secretary.

As a "big brother" assisting the local government, Nograles said he will be focusing on controlling the transmission of the virus, improving the health care capacities, managing outbreaks, ensuring preventive measures in workplaces and transportation, managing the importation of COVID-19 from other areas, and strengthening community engagement in the fight against COVID-19. —LBG, GMA News