EVEN though Mandaue City has been placed under general community quarantine (GCQ), there are a total of 62 houses from five barangays that are still on lockdown.

The biggest lockdown in the city on June 5, 2020, was in Brgy. Mantuyong with 57 houses.

In an interview, John Eddu Ibañez, the executive secretary of Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, said the lifting of the lockdown in the area will depend on the recommendation of the Emergency Operations Center and Inter-Agency Management Team of the city.

There is a 10-meter-radius lockdown from the house of the confirmed Covid-19 patient in the barangay, the houses of which are close to one another.

The lockdown in the area started on May 6 when patient MC93 who died on May 3, tested positive for Covid-19.

There are 14 active confirmed Covid-19 cases in the barangay. Ibañez emphasized that the lockdown does not necessarily have to last 14 days. However, they will still look into the results of those contact-traced individuals.

They also have to consider the number of positive cases and contact-traced individuals in a certain area or household.

Once the patient and all those who have been contact-traced will test negative for Covid-19, the lockdown will be lifted.

Aside from Barangay Mantuyong, two houses are also on lockdown in Brgy. Cambaro and one each in barangays Opao, Banilad and Umapad.

As of June 4, there were 218 active Covid-19 cases in Mandaue’s City Jail and 43 active cases in the community.

Meanwhile, Ibañez said even though the city is now under GCQ, it does not mean that the public may loiter. The entry control points in the sitios and barangays are still in effect.

These are guarded by the Barangay Volunteers Against Covid-19 (BVACs) who are registered in the barangays. BVACs are assigned to check quarantine passes of the individuals who wish to enter or exit each sitio.

Ibañez said the barangays may replace these BVACs and amend the list of volunteers for record purposes. / KFD