Sixteen more barangays in the City of Manila will be placed under lockdown starting Wednesday (March 24) due to the surge in COVID-19 infections. 

Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso on Sunday (March 21) signed Executive Order No. 11, placing the following barangays under lockdown from 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, March 24 to 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, March 27.

• Barangay 1   
• Barangay 50   
• Barangay 106   
• Barangay 109   
• Barangay 184   
• Barangay 192   
• Barangay 209   
• Barangay 296   
• Barangay 493   
• Barangay 515   
• Barangay 586   
• Barangay 636   
• Barangay 669   
• Barangay 790   
• Barangay 883   
• Barangay 875

This week, there will be a total of 31 areas under lockdown in Manila. Last week, Domagoso signed Executive Orders No. 9 and 10, placing 13 barangays and two other cities under lockdown from March 22 to 25.

These are:

• Barangay 107   
• Barangay 147   
• Barangay 256   
• Barangay 262   
• Barangay 281   
• Barangay 297   
• Barangay 350   
• Barangay 385   
• Barangay 513   
• Barangay 519   
• Barangay 624   
• Barangay 696   
• Barangay 831   
• Kusang Loob Street at Barangay 353, Sta. Cruz   
• NYK Fil-Ship Management Building at Barangay 658

The Manila city government has been enforcing lockdowns in areas with 10 or more active COVID-19 cases, calling them critical zones where enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) levels of health protocols are being implemented. 

Disease surveillance, massive contact tracing, and verification or testing and rapid risk assessment will be conducted during the lockdown.

Those living in the said areas will not be allowed to leave their houses except for buying food and necessities, as well as emergency cases.

However, health workers, military personnel, service workers (pharmacies, drug stores, and funeral homes), utility workers (energy, cable, internet, telecommunication companies, water, sanitation, and critical transport facilities including port operation), essential workers (goods delivery, food delivery, banking and money services), barangay officials (Chairpersons, Barangay Secretary, Barangay Treasurers, Kagawads, and Executive Officers), and media practitioners accredited by the Presidential Communications Operations Office and the Inter-Agency Task Force are exempted from the order. 

Affected residents will receive food boxes from the city government. 
Members of the barangay and the police will be deployed to ensure the proper implementation of the lockdown.

Several barangays, including Barangay 351, Barangay 725 and several buildings in Barangay 699, were locked down from March 11 to March 14.
Six other barangays, including Barangay 185, Barangay 374, Barangay 521, Barangay 628, Barangay 675, and Barangay 847, where also placed under lockdown from March 17, to March 20.
Domagoso admitted that the COVID-19 situation has been "overwhelming."

“I would agree with scientists and analytics na masyadong mabilis 'yung growth (that the growth is very fast). The infection may catch up with preparation," he said. 

But the Manila mayor maintained that the city government still considers the situation" "manageable," with monitoring and contact tracing operations being intensified.

To beef up the city’s contingency plans, the local government increased its quarantine bed capacity by 300 beds, which are located in Dormitels.PH in G. Tuazon, T.M. Kalaw, and Ermita courtesy of former Manila city councilor Don Bagatsing.

Domagoso also appealed to motel owners in the city to let their facilities be used as additional quarantine spaces.

As of Sunday, March 21, about 2,656 active COVID-19 cases out of 33,844 confirmed cases have been recorded by the Manila Health Department, with a running total of 30,336 recoveries and 852 deaths.