In the Philippines and President Rodrigo Duterte has reportedly responded to a recent local spike in the prevalence of coronavirus by extending the lockdown program for metropolitan Manila by a further two weeks.
According to a Wednesday report from the Reuters news service, Manila was put under a partial quarantine order on March 15 after the number of people infected with the potentially-deadly ailment nationwide topped 100 for twelve deaths. This scheme, which had been due to end yesterday, purportedly encompassed the temporary shuttering of all local sportsbetting, electronic gaming, bingo and poker establishments as well as the conurbation’s four large integrated casino resorts.
Recent rise:
Reuters reported that Duterte has now decided to extend this isolation order for the nation’s largest city until July 31 after the country experienced a two-day spike of some 1,235 new coronavirus cases that took the historical tally up to 61,266. The Philippines has so far purportedly chalked up 1,643 deaths due to the highly-contagious virus including 46 from Monday.
Persistent prevalence:
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque reportedly confirmed that cases of coronavirus in Manila have more than doubled to 29,015 since June and that the lockdown order is to remain in effect to keep the city’s four large casino resorts shuttered. Reuters moreover detailed that other aspects of the lockdown include the continuation of a wide range of social distancing measures alongside a prohibition on all non-essential travel and a request that residents work from home if possible.
Reportedly read a statement from Roque…
“It was clear during our discussions that if the spread of the virus in Manila will not slow, it is possible that stricter quarantine measures would be re-imposed after two weeks.”
Controlled curtailment:
Elsewhere in the Philippines and Reuters reported that Duterte has now eased coronavirus-related lockdown restrictions for the central island province of Cebu after the area recorded a decline in the number of confirmed cases despite still accounting for some 10% of the nation’s aggregate infections.
