More than a thousand areas across the country were under granular lockdowns for COVID-19 as of Jan. 29, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Sunday.
Of the 1,036 areas, 404 were in the Cordillera region, 252 were in the Ilocos region, 173 were in Calabarzon and 152 were from Cagayan Valley.
There were only 14 areas in Metro Manila under granular lockdowns, the police said.
Saturday’s tally was higher than the 853 areas reported under lockdown on Thursday.
Thirty-three cities and municipalities and 399 barangays have granular lockdowns, the police said.
Most of these barangays were from Region 1 (Ilocos) with 166, followed by Cordillera with 103.
Some 1,320 households and 2,512 people were affected by these lockdowns.
Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has directed all local government units to ensure the resumption of cockpit operations and the return of traditional “sabong” (cockfighting) in areas under Alert Level 2 or lower would not be super spreader events of COVID-19.
Governors, mayors, and village chiefs must exercise sound judgment, undertake necessary actions, and ensure compliance with health and safety protocols in the management of cockpits and cockfighting activities, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said.
“Even if we are already under Level 2 or 1, there should be discipline and alertness in cockfighting operations. It is not yet time to be complacent as the Omicron threat is still high,” Año said.
DILG Memorandum Circular 2022-003 allows the operations of cockpits and traditional cockfighting under Alert Level 2 or lower, provided there is no objection from the concerned LGU and health protocols are strictly observed.
The maximum venue capacity for indoor gatherings is 50 percent – all fully vaccinated – as ordered by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Workers and employees of the establishments should also be fully vaccinated.
Only technology-based platforms and cashless betting are allowed to prevent the physical exchange of cash anywhere in the cockpit.