The granular lockdown in the National Capital Region (NCR) has been approved by the government pandemic task force starting September 8.
According to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved the implementation of the granular lockdown system in NCR as a pilot area.
In the granular lockdown system, only small pockets or areas with transmission would be placed under a hard lockdown and at different levels – from one to four, with four being the most stringent.
Secretary Lopez further said that there will be flexibility for LGU (local government unit) chief executives, food would be provided to those in areas under hard lockdown and businesses would be allowed to open and operate at different capacities depending on the level imposed, and that health protocols like wearing face masks, face shields, distancing and ventilation will still be imposed.
“We have been implementing granular lockdown, but we fine-tuned it, made it more specific so that hopefully, it will be more effective,” he said.
This granular lockdown system was in response to President Duterte’s wish for a more precise and responsive system.
Guidelines of Granular lockdown are set to be released on September 7, 2021.