Department of Interior and Local Government  Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday insisted that localized lockdowns should be imposed in areas of Metro Manila even with single cases of positive coronavirus disease-2019 patients.

“Ang point sana natin dito kahit isang case palang i-lockdown mo na kaagad ‘yung isang neighborhood or isang building or isang compound at kailangan mailabas kaagad natin dito at matest ‘yung mga kasama niya (The point here is that lockdowns should be enforced immediately in a neighborhood or one building or a compound where there is an urgent need to identify his (positive COVID-19 patient) companion and have them tested),’’ Año said in an interview over DZMM.

When the COVID-19 patients are identified, Año said that they can immediately be brought to the government’s isolation facilities that will prevent the spread of the virus.

Año has also batted for a swift and efficient implementation of “a localized lockdown whether it is a community, neighborhood, a street, or a building or one household or one barangay’’ in the concerned areas to reinvigorate the economy that will allow more individuals to return to work.

He stressed that there is “no need to wait to add the cases and will only be able to act after three days and will give them a hard time to contact trace.’’

To avoid further COVID-19 surge, Año encouraged the public to step forward, assuring that the “government has enough testing kits and don't wait for us to trace you (referring to suspected COVID-19 patients).’’

He noted that the public’s initiative is a major key to avert the further spread of the virus, adding that the expenses for the tests are shouldered by PhilHealth for its members.

Año, vice chairman of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, met Metro Manila mayors, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) officials, and members of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) last July 6 to consult them on the actions needed for the “economic recovery, to open some business in National Capital Region (NCR).”