The Muntinlupa City government placed a community in Barangay Tunasan under granular lockdown due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi called for an emergency meeting and ordered to place Chico Street, Laguerta in Tunasan under a 15-day Extreme Localized Community Quarantine (ELCQ) starting from 6 p.m. of Aug. 10 to 6 p.m. of Aug. 25.

Attending the meeting were Muntinlupa City Health Officer Dr. Juancho Bunyi, Muntinlupa police chief Col. Melecio Buslig, Department of the Interior and Local Government-Muntinlupa Director Bing Ferino, Social Service Department chief Analyn Mercado, City Planning and Development Office acting head Alvin Veron, Brgy. Tunasan Chairman Walter Arcilla; and Sama-Samang Magkakapitbahay ng Laguerta president Rowena Magtibay Celorio.

Bunyi said the city government decided to declare a granular lockdown in the area after recording a high attack rate of 66.51 per 10,000 population and a narrow doubling time of four days.

Doubling time is the number of days for cases to double in number while attack rate is “the proportion of those who became ill after a specified exposure,” according to the World Health Organization.

As of Aug. 10, Chico Street has three active cases -- one 40-year-old individual and two minors aged 10 and 13. The street is home to 451 residents with the following high-risk groups: 19 seniors, 11 persons with disabilities, two pregnant women, and 45 children under five years old.

Bunyi noted that clustering of cases was observed in the community and minimum public health practices such as social distancing and the strict use of face masks are not followed. Further, the City Health Office said the community is congested and houses are close to one another.

The CHO is set to conduct a mass testing in the community and will intensify its detection, isolation and treatment strategies. Contact tracing of close contacts will also be facilitated.

The city government through the Social Service Department and barangay will provide additional relief food packs and other basic goods in the duration of the granular lockdown.

Muntinlupa police will secure the community and augment roving personnel in nearby areas to ensure the public’s strict compliance to health protocols.

Fresnedi asked the cooperation of the residents from the affected community and urged them to observe health protocols such as frequent hand-washing, wearing of face masks, and physical distancing.

Previously, the city government placed the following areas under ELCQ: 229 Compound, Purok 1 in Barangay Bayanan last April 1 to 16; St. Anthony Street, JPA Subdivision in Brgy. Tunasan and Amparo St. in Brgy. Poblacion last March 26 to April 10; and Cruzero St., Villa Carolina 1 in Barangay Tunasan; and 124 Purok 1 in Barangay Cupang last March 13 to 28.

As of Aug. 10, Muntinlupa has 1,072 active COVID-19 cases out of 15,826 confirmed cases, 14,357 recoveries, and 397 deaths.