MANILA – Granular lockdowns may be better for Metro Manila as the country continues to fight the spread of COVID-19, the head of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Wednesday.

“A hard lockdown should always be the last option. Personally, that’s my point of view,” MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos told ANC’s “Dateline Philippines.”

Abalos said he is in more in favor of granular lockdowns, which some cities are already implementing.

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“It’s more microscopic, it’s more surgical, it’s better, kasi yung healthy population mo, makakapagtrabaho eh,” he said.

He said 3,040 households in Metro Manila are currently under granular lockdowns.

Abalos said Metro Manila mayors have yet to discuss among themselves and with the IATF if the region should go for granular lockdowns going forward, but they will always rely on data from health and economic experts to guide their decisions.

Abalos said the COVID-19 reproduction rate (R) in Metro Manila was at 1.46 as of August 27, based on analysis made by the OCTA Research group.

He also noted that more than 80 percent of Metro Manila’s target population have received their first dose of the vaccine against COVID-19.

---ANC, 1 September 2021

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