The number of areas under granular lockdown in Metro Manila increased to more than 200, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Friday.

"As of yesterday, 220 places are under granular lockdown. This is within the 82 barangays of nine cities out of the 17 cities and municipalities here in Metro Manila," PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said during the "Laging Handa" public briefing on Friday.

Eleazar said a total of 2,697 households or a total of 8,550 individuals are affected by the granular lockdown.

Areas under granular lockdown will not allow movement of people for two weeks. For the first week, food aid will come from their local government unit. On the second week, this will be given by the national government.

"We are under Alert Level 4 but those areas under granular lockdown experience tighter quarantine than the ECQ, and the other areas will not be affected," he said.

"That is the concept of the granular lockdown. I think it will become effective if it will be properly implemented through the cooperation of the public," he added.

Eleazar said since the start of the pilot implementation of granular lockdown in NCR, the PNP has recorded 93,894 violators with a daily average of 11,712.

"Fifty-one percent of them were given warning; 43 percent were ticketed; six percent were brought to the police station," he said.

"The past eight days have been generally peaceful and we heard from other IATF officials that so far our pilot test is good," he added. Robina Asido/DMS