The Philippines on Tuesday reported another 18,056 new cases of COVID-19 as Metro Manila braced for granular lockdowns.
The day's cases brought active cases to 177,670 and the cumulative total since the pandemic began to 2,266,066. There were 222 deaths and 20,542 new recoveries bringing the running totals to 35,529 and 2,052,867.
MECQ in the capital region is expected to last until Sept. 15, with granular lockdowns set to be piloted as early as Sept. 16. Under this new scheme, an alert level system will be implemeted with mayors being permitted to delcare lockdown for as long as 14 days on particular houses or streets with high number of infections.
Unlike in the old community quarantine system, there will be no authorized persons outside of their residences.
Only health care workers and non-health personnel working in hospitals, laboratories, and dialysis facilities whose institutions are unable to provide accommodation for their personnel, and uniformed personnel tasked to enforce the granular lockdown, are allowed to move within, into, and out of the area under granular lockdown.
