Thirteen barangays here are placed on total lockdown for five days starting 6 p.m. of Tuesday due to confirmed coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in their areas for the past three days.

Mayor Jerry Treñas said the Covid Team has recognized the need to impose stricter measures after surgical lockdown in several areas of the city in the past weeks.

“We have seen that for several weeks, cases are still increasing,” he said in his regular press conference.

Barangays that are placed on total lockdown included Concepcion and Ortiz in the City Proper district; MH Del Pilar, Simon Ledesma and San Isidro in Jaro; Bo. Obrero, Mansaya and Lapuz Sur of Lapuz district; Bolilao, Mandurriao; Sooc, Arevalo; Calumpang, Molo and Aguinaldo, La Paz.

Treñas said the contact tracing team needs sufficient time to trace and swab all those exposed to Covid-19 cases, hence the five-day lockdown.

The result of the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is expected to be released in three to five days.

If there are positive cases, then there is still time to isolate them.

A liquor ban will also be implemented in all barangays that are locked down while the curfew hour will be from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next day.

Only essential health personnel to include those working in hospital or health facilities are allowed to go out of their barangay.

Essential businesses in the barangay such as supermarkets, sari-sari stores and “talipapa” are still allowed to operate.

Meanwhile, apart from the locked down barangays, the mayor also ordered the closure of the city hall starting Wednesday until Friday to give way to the swab test of all its employees.

The operation at the city treasurer’s office (CTO) has been suspended since last week after its employees were tested positive for Covid-19.

Dr. Gold Calsas, head of the city epidemiology and surveillance unit (CESU), said 33 employees of the CTO were positive for the disease while 75 were negative.

The index patient was a 46-year-old female employee who showed severe symptoms starting Sept. 1 but continued to report to work until Sept. 6.

“In that long period of time, there is a possibility of transmission in the workplace,” she said.

As of Sept. 21, Iloilo City recorded 1,847 total cumulative Covid-19 cases; 1,073 have already recovered, 35 have died, and the rest are still active cases. (PNA)