MANILA - Eleven areas in 5 barangays in Quezon City remain under "special concern lockdown" (SCL) due to the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases there, the city government said Thursday.

In Barangay Tatalon, where four areas are among those placed under SCL since May 13, policemen on-duty held Karl Patrick Abillar and Simon Castillo for 30 minutes for violating the local curfew.

Abillar and Castillo were caught riding in tandem on board a motorcycle past 1 p.m. Abillar had no mask on, and Castillo did not have a quarantine pass.

Residents with official quarantine passes in Tatalon are allowed to leave their homes only between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m., and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“Okay naman na po yun para matapos na po 'yung kumakalat na virus. Galing po kami sa trabaho tapos nahuli po kami,” Abillar shared.

(It's okay so that the virus won't spread further. We came from work then we were apprehended.)

Barangay Peace and Order Bureau personnel Jerry Matagsico said the area is on tight watch, with a portion of the ROTC Hunters Road in Area 6 under SCL for two weeks.

The alley leading to Abillar and Castillo's homes have one entry and exit point: ROTC Hunters Road.

“May mga positive [cases]; kailangan tapusin po yung 14 days nang sa ganun matapos na po yung pagiging quarantine po nila. ‘Pag hard lockdown po, yun po yung totally na hindi po maaaring makakalabas yung mga residente, kami po, sa bahagi ng barangay, ang aming trabaho ay ang pangangailangan nila ay aming ibibigay,” Matagsico told ABS-CBN News.

(There are positive cases. They should finish the 14-day quarantine. When there is a hard lockdown, residents there won't be allowed to go out. As barangay officials, we will be providing their needs.)

Apart from ROTC Hunters, Victory Avenue, BMA Avenue and Agno Street in Tatalon are also under SCL.

Other areas under SCL are:

- Sitio Militar in Barangay Bahay Toro;
- Vargas Compound-Adelfa Metro Heights-Abanay, and Ancop Canada in Barangay Culiat;
- Lower Gulod in Barangay Sauyo; and,
- 318 Dakila Street, 2nd Alley Kalayaan B, and Masbate Street in Batasan Hills

Reacting to a news article about the city supposedly placing additional areas on lockdown, the city government said "what has been erroneously reported as lockdown areas are actually (extreme enhanced community quarantine) areas inside" barangays in the city, "a strategy developed as early as March."

"At present, there are 34 barangays with EECQ areas," the city government said in a statement.

"We are not adding as of now, any additional (SCL) areas," it added.

Assistant City Administrator for Operations Alberto Kimpo told ABS-CBN News local and national guidelines permit LGUs to enforce "special concern lockdowns" for specific target areas where there are a “clustering” of positive cases.

Marmefe Mendoza, 75, told ABS-CBN News her household, which includes 2 other senior citizens, is taking extra steps to prevent contracting the disease.

“May takot. Medyo nilalakasan na lang namin loob namin, may takot pa rin kami, kasi napakadelikado eh. Nakakatakot, hindi namin alam sino may COVID,” she said.

(We are scared. We're just trying to keep our spirits high, but we are afraid because it's dangerous. It's scary, we don't know who has COVID-19.)

Senior citizens and those aged below 21 are prohibited from leaving their homes in the National Capital Region, which is now on modified ECQ.

Barangays in Quezon City are given the autonomy to impose window periods where quarantine pass holders can run essential errands. But all residents have to be inside their homes by 8 p.m.