Areas under granular lockdown drop to 556 — PNP

The number of areas in the country under granular lockdown due to COVID-19 cases has dropped to 556 from 790, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Thursday.

As of Wednesday, 334 areas have been placed under granular lockdown in Cordillera, 138 in Cagayan, 49 in the National Capital Region, 19 in Mimaropa, and 16 in Zamboanga.

A total of 38,027 people were affected by the restrictions.

The PNP has deployed 190 personnel and 386 force multipliers in the lockdown areas to ensure security and adherence to the minimum health standards.

Local government units (LGUs) decide whether or not to impose or lift a granular lockdown on a house, compound, street, or building based on the number of infections reported.

Granular lockdowns are micro-level area COVID-19 quarantines for "critical zones" in LGUs.

On Wednesday, the Department of Health reported 15,789 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide tally to 3,475,293. There are 230,410 active infections. — VBL, GMA News