DTI Chief Ramon Lopez says IATF approves granular lockdown in NCR

According to Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, the Inter-Agency Task Force approved implementing a granular lockdown in Metro Manila starting September 8, Wednesday.

The guidelines are yet to be finalized, but Lopez mentioned that areas identified as COVID-19 hotspots will be on hard lockdown while the rest will have a more lenient general community quarantine status.

"Granular lockdowns will allow some more jobs to be back, those outside the hotspot areas," Secretary Lopez said in a message.

Lopez added that while granular lockdowns will be implemented in and out of Metro Manila, areas near the COVID-19 hotspots will have different levels of restriction.

Meanwhile, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque later stated that President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to approve the granular lockdown suggestion.

Earlier, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire mentioned that the IATF plans to restrategize its implementation of lockdowns.