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The Quezon City government on Tuesday said it was expanding the lockdown in Barangay West Kamias, after the city recorded 294 new COVID-19 cases, the highest in the National Capital Region.

Last March 3, No. 46 and 50, K-9th Street in Barangay West Kamias was placed under the city’s special concern lockdown (SCL) after identifying 3 coronavirus cases in a population of 60 individuals.

The city's local government identified the compound with 27 families of renters and informal settlers as a COVID-19 hotspot. Seventy-two individuals from the area have already been given RT-PCR tests, which resulted in the identification of 28 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

This forced the Quezon City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU) to include No. 47-50 of the K-9th street to its "granular lockdown."

The 12 families residing in No. 47-50 will undergo RT-PCR test this week.

The Quezon City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit imposes special concern lockdowns in compounds, streets, or alleys where clustering and high-risk community transmission have been observed in order to curtail further spread.

These areas will be under lockdown for a minimum 14 days but could be extended depending to the number of cases that will be identified.

The Quezon City government assured that affected families will be provided with food packs and essential kits.

• Quezon City records almost 300 new Covid cases, followed by the City of Manila with 226

“With the alarming surge in numbers the past few days, it is imperative to place areas with clustered cases under lockdown to control the possibility of widespread transmission in our barangays,” CESU Head Dr. Rolly Cruz said.

Eleven other areas are currently under localized lockdown:

• portion of Durian St. in Barangay Pasong Tamo;
• L. Pascual Street in Barangay Baesa;
• De Los Santos Compound, Heavenly Drive in Barangay San Agustin;
• 49 & 51 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave., in Barangay Dona Josefa;
• Paul St. and Thaddeus St., Jordan Park Homes Subdivision, Dona Carmen in Barangay Commonwealth;
• No. 64 ,14th Ave. in Barangay Socorro;
• No. 64-B Agno Extension in Barangay Tatalon;
• No. 237 Apo St., in Barangay Maharlika;
• No. 90 Gonzales Compound in Barangay Balon-bato;
• No. 2A-4 K-6th in Barangay West Kamias;
• and portion of Sitio 5, Jose Abad Santos in Barangay Sta. Lucia.

In these 12 areas with special concern lockdown, 472 families were affected. Swab tests are still being conducted as of posting time.

Meanwhile, Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), barangays and other concerned city offices to strictly implement health protocols to curb the surge in cases.

This included mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields in public.

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