More than 200 persons who allegedly violated quarantine protocols were arrested on Sunday, the first day of the hard lockdown imposed in Tondo 1 District in Manila to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the city government reported.
“Since the implementation of the 48-hour hard lockdown in Tondo 1 yesterday, about 204 quarantine violators have been apprehended by the Manila Police District,” the Manila Public Information Office (MPIO) said in a report posted on Facebook.
On the other hand, the Divisoria Night Market continued operations as Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno said vendors may continue to sell. However, there were fewer vendors and buyers.
Navotas, meanwhile, appeared to be following Manila's lead, as Mayor Toby Tiangco Saturday signed an executive order that will put the city under extreme enhanced community quarantine starting May 6, 5 a.m. until May 15, 11:59 p.m.
The decision to implement the extreme ECQ came after the Navotas Contact Tracing Team confirmed that most of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients went to various markets and grocery stores within and around the city.
Additionally, records of the City Health Office showed that COVID-19 cases in Navotas have been steadily increasing in the past two weeks.
The mass testing for COVID-19 in Manila started on Sunday, and 109 tested positive in the antibody testing. These 109 cases will undergo swab tests to confirm test results.
On Monday, mass testings were conducted on frontliners exhibiting symptoms and those with exposure to COVID-19 cases as identified through contact tracing.
The hard lockdown in Tondo 1 which was ordered by Domagoso to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 will be in effect until 5 a.m. of Tuesday, May 5.
Meanwhile, among those arrested was a man who went out intending to buy noodles.
The man said he saw some people in the market and so he decided to step out of the house.
An 18-year-old was nabbed twice. The first instance was when he left his house to go to the barber, and the second time when he was on his way home after he was released by the police station.
He said he tried to explain to the police arresting him for the second time that day.
"Sinabi ko ho kaso galit ang pulis. Sinigawan ako," the youth added.
Arrested violators of the hard lockdown on Tondo 1 District were brought to a covered basketball court in Barangay 105 Zone 8 in Manila on Sunday, May 3, 2020, the first day of the measure's implementation.
The minors and persons with disability who were arrested were escorted back home, while the homeless were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
All the violators will have criminal records, police said.
More than 1,400 police officers were deployed in Tondo 1 on Sunday to implement the hard lockdown.
A total of 250 police officers from the Philippine National Police's elite Special Action Force (SAF) were deployed in Tondo, Manila to assist in the implementation of "hard" lockdown in District 1, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said on Monday.
"We greatly appreciate the generosity of SAF in sending us augmentation in this battle against the unseen. Verily, they will be of great aid in the implementation of the hard lockdown in Tondo, Manila," NCRPO chief Police Major General Debold Sinas said in a statement.
However, only members of the Manila Police District (MPD) will do the arrests.
"There's no such thing as overkill. Bilangin niyo ang pulis, 1,400. Bilangin niyo ang kalye. Kahit bawat kalye lagyan mo ng isang pulis, kulang pa rin ang 1,400," MPD Director Police Brigadier General Rolando Miranda said.
“We need to take drastic measures to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases. If we fail to keep our numbers down, our national government might be faced with the dilemma of extending the ECQ again or implementing a General Community Quarantine (GCQ) that might result to the resurgence of cases,” Tiangco said.
“Many of our constituents, despite numerous and constant reminders, continue to violate the ECQ. We need to take extreme actions to ensure that within the next 12 days, we will be able to flatten the curve so we could continue our lives under the ‘new normal’ and the GCQ,” he added.
Under Executive Order No. 029, series of 2020, the 18 barangays of Navotas will follow an alternating schedule for purchase of essentials including food, groceries or medicines.
Residents of barangays San Rafael Village, North Bay Blvd. South (NBBS)-Kaunlaran, Bangkulasi, Bagumbayan South, Navotas East, Sipac-Almacen, Daanghari, Tangos North, and Tanza 1 are allowed to leave their homes only every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Meanwhile, those from NBBS Proper and Dagat-dagatan, North Bay Blvd. North, Bagumbayan North, Navotas West, San Jose, San Roque, Tangos South, and Tanza 2 can only shop and run errands every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
On Sundays, all barangays will be put under lockdown and no one is allowed to go out of their house except for health emergencies and other reasons allowed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
All public markets, groceries and other essential supplies stores in the city are open Monday to Saturday, 5AM to 8PM, to accommodate barangays without satellite markets and grocery stores.
Drug stores and pharmacies are the only establishments allowed to open on Sunday for the sole purpose of selling emergency medicines. They are prohibited to sell other goods and supplies.
Only one resident per household, whose name is printed in the home quarantine pass, are allowed to go out of their homes. They must wear face masks, observe social distancing and avoid large groups and crowd.
Essential workers who are exempted by the IATF, including those who work at the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority, are allowed to go to work during the EECQ, upon presentation of a valid company ID and essential work pass issued by the barangays.
The ban on buying or selling of alcoholic drinks remains in effect.
