The Quezon City government has put two more areas under special concern lockdown despite plans to extend the restrictions imposed on the 11 sites that were initially placed under SCL amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Assistant city administrator for operations Alberto Kimpo sent a letter to the Department of the Interior and Local Government-National Capital Region's director Maria Lourdes Agustin, identifying the areas as the Certeza compound in Barangay Culiat and Alley 2 Homart Road in Barangay Baesa to be placed under SCL.
While Certeza compound has only one confirmed COVID-19 case, Kimpo said the area’s dense population makes it a candidate for SCL as recommended by the city's health department and requested by officials of Barangay Culiat.
“Its 44 families cramped in a 70-square meter compound, makes Certeza in great risk of community transmission,” he said.
He said the health department would conduct rapid testing on 200 individuals and a random rapid testing involving 450 households in the immediate vicinity of the lockdown area to check the extent of the infection in the community.
Just like Certeza compound, Alley 2 Homart Road has also been recommended by the health department to be placed under SCL because of its dense population.
Dr. Rolly Cruz, the city's epidemiologist, said there are nine confirmed cases in the area with one death, while the others are either confined in various HOPE facilities or undergoing quarantine at home.
“An estimated 156 families, comprising of 500 individuals, will undergo rapid testing to help determine the spread of COVID-19 in the area,” he said.
The city government is studying to extend the 14-day lockdown in 11 locations that were placed under SCL.
Mayor Joy Belmonte reiterated her call to residents of the affected areas to cooperate with the city government in its effort to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
Meanwhile, police arrested a 70-year-old woman and three other drug suspects in a joint buy-bust operation in the city.
Operatives of the Quezon City Police District and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency arrested Alicia Santos, 70, of Barangay Bahay Toro; Cristina Petejotes, 53, of Barangay Baesa; Alex Bagang, 29, and Rodolfo de Pedro Jr., 45, both from Barangay Bahay Toro last Monday at 8 p.m.
A police poseur buyer bought P1,200.00 worth of shabu from Petejotes along with the other suspects.
Seized from the suspects were seven grams of shabu worth P47,600, a cellular phone and the buy-bust money.
According to Montejo, Santos and Pelejotes were included in the barangay drug data base, while Bagang and De Pedro were newly-identified drug personalities.