Makati ready for granular lockdown
FOLLOWING the successful implementation of a localized community quarantine (LCQ) in Barangay Pio del Pilar last March, Makati Mayor Abby Binay assured Makatizens that the city is ready to provide essential needs to those who will be affected by the granular lockdown.
“Makati is the first local government unit to implement a localized or granular lockdown last March. As we shift from modified enhanced community quarantine to general community quarantine on Wednesday, I would like to assure Makatizens that our city will provide food packs, COVID-19 home care kits, and swab tests for them in case their street or barangay is placed under granular lockdown,” she said.
Mayor Abby explained that Makati first implemented a 14-day LCQ in Barangay Pio del Pilar when there was a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases earlier this year.
Apart from food packs and free delivery of medicines, the city conducted house-to-house swab tests during the first 48 hours to determine and isolate positive patients.
After the results were out after a day or two, the lockdown was lifted in areas where people tested negative.
There was also a designated station or ‘concierge’ for those who needed to buy medicines and other essentials.
Recently, Makati also started providing a COVID-19 home care kit to COVID positive Makatizens with mild symptoms. It includes a COVID-19 home care handbook, alcohol, oral antiseptic, sore throat spray, fever pad, medical infrared thermometer, pulse oximeter, washable and disposable face masks, vitamins, and medicine for fever.
With the right equipment, Mayor Abby said Makatizens will be able to closely monitor their health and report medical emergencies to the Makati City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) to prevent their condition from getting worse.
“Since Metro Manila is under Alert Level 4, our goal is to help Makatizens recover so that they will not need to be hospitalized,” the mayor noted.
Mayor Abby also added that the city will focus on testing symptomatic patients and tracing close contacts to prevent superspreader events.
At present, the city provides free RT-PCR tests to Makatizens with COVID-19 symptoms and close contacts.
