Five barangays in Bontoc, Mountain Province are currently under lockdown due to the threat of the UK COVID-19 variant in the municipality, Mayor Franklin Odsey said on Monday.
The mayor said around 6,000 residents were affected by the lockdown to prevent the spread of the new COVID-19 strain.
“There are four barangays dito sa sentro ng munisipyo [ang nasa ilalim ng lockdown] at I declared ang isang barangay outside. That’s the Barangay Tocucan. So all in all lima,” Odsey said.
These barangays are Tocucan, Poblacion, Bontoc Ili, Caluttit, and Samoki.
Yesterday, the municipal government extended the lockdown in Barangay Tocucan until January 31.
Odsey also extended the “enhanced community quarantine-like” lockdown in Bontoc Ili, Caluttit, and Poblacion from January 25 until January 31.
The mayor earlier placed the said barangays under lockdown from January 18 to January 24 only due to a sudden increase of COVID-19 cases in the areas.
Before the UK COVID-19 variant was detected in Bontoc, Odsey already placed Barangay Samoki in “enhanced community quarantine” effective January 18 until January 31.
Bontoc has so far recorded 341 total COVID-19 cases, with 90 recoveries and 249 active cases. Two Bontoc residents have died due to respiratory disease.
5 barangays in Bontoc under lockdown due to UK COVID-19 variant threat
“Gusto ko itong i-clarify for closure from my earlier statement, ang kababayan namin ay returning OFW. He was able to enter because of complete documents,” he said.
The mayor said the OFW came from the United Kingdom.
At the Laging Handa briefing, Odsey said only two of the 12 patients with the UK COVID-19 variant are still recovering at the regional hospital.
“Dalawa ang nasa hopsital pa rin, ‘yung regional hospital namin. Isa ngayon, ang madi-discharge. Tatlo ang naka-home quarantine. At anim ang na-discharge and continuing home quarantine,” he said.
“We closely monitor them. We have our contact tracers. We have our local informers sa barangay, LGU na nagmo-monitor that they should comply the requirement sa home quarantine,” Odsey added.