Skip to main content
Best News Website or Mobile Service
WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Worldwide 2022
Best News Website or Mobile Service
Digital Media Awards Worldwide 2022
Hamburger Menu

Advertisement

Advertisement

Asia

Philippines to ease some tough COVID-19 restrictions from Apr 12

Philippines to ease some tough COVID-19 restrictions from Apr 12

Lockdowns in the Philippines' national capital region and four neighbouring provinces will be eased from Apr 12. (File photo: AFP/Jam Sta Rosa)

MANILA: Strict COVID-19 lockdowns in the Philippines' capital and four adjacent provinces will be eased from Monday (Apr 12), a spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday.

Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite will be placed under a less restrictive community quarantine status until Apr 30, spokesman Harry Roque told a virtual briefing.

Roque gave the briefing from hospital where he is being treated for COVID-19. He gave no details on which restrictions will be eased but said details would be released on Monday.

The Philippines is battling one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Asia, with hospitals in the capital overwhelmed amid record daily infections, while authorities face delays in delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.

On Sunday, the Department of Health recorded 11,681 new COVID-19 cases and 201 more deaths, bringing the country's tallies to 864,868 confirmed infections and 14,945 fatalities.

New cases have surged in recent weeks, surpassing 15,000 on Apr 2, most of those in the congested capital.

READ: 'Full capacity everywhere': Manila hospitals struggle as virus surges

READ: Philippines' Duterte cancels address as COVID-19 spreads among staff

Last week, Duterte cancelled a weekly televised address and a meeting with his coronavirus task force as some of his staff and security detail were found to be COVID-19 positive.

Roque and Duterte's defence minister, Delfin Lorenzana, also tested positive.

Roque said the government will work to increase the number of COVID-19 beds in healthcare facilities and free up more room in hospitals.

Under the current quarantine classification for Manila and surrounding areas, non-essential movement is banned, along with mass gatherings and dining in restaurants, with longer-than-usual curfews also in place since Mar 29.

The reimposition of strict lockdowns has raised concerns that the economy will take longer to recover from last year's worst slump on record.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

Source: Reuters/kg

Advertisement

Also worth reading

Advertisement