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Agence France-Presse

About 250,000 people in Manila will go back into lockdown, an official said Monday, as the number of new coronavirus infections in the Philippines surges.
Residents in Navotas, one of 16 cities that make up the sprawling capital of 12 million people, will have to stay home for a fortnight, just six weeks after emerging from one of the world’s longest lockdowns.
“I am not sure if this is a solution, but I am certain that if I do this the number of cases will not increase,” Navotas city mayor Toby Tiangco told a radio station.
Navotas, one of the poorest areas of Manila and home to its main fishing port, has 931 confirmed cases and 59 deaths, according to local government figures.
But the number of new infections has spiked in the past two weeks.
“We have no choice but to do it because people are so stubborn,” said Tiangco, referring to people flouting social distancing rules.


The order is expected to take effect on Wednesday or Thursday, Tiangco said, adding the full set of guidelines was still being finalised.
Residents will be allowed to go to work, but outdoor exercise will be banned. Shops and businesses can remain open but restaurants will only be allowed to do takeaways.
Tiangco said he has asked the capital’s police chief to deploy troops to enforce the orders and arrest violators.
Quarantine measures to contain the virus vary across the Philippines, but the strictest and longest lockdown was in Manila, the centre of the country’s outbreak.
Manila eases its lockdown, for anyone still brave enough to go out
It shut down in mid-March and only began to reopen at the beginning of June with limited public transport and offices permitted to have skeleton staff.
Since then lockdowns have been reimposed on several neighbourhoods as cases jumped, but the stay-at-home order for Navotas will be the biggest.
The tough measures have hurt millions of workers in Manila, which accounts for more than a third of the country’s economic output.
But the relaxation of rules and the return of thousands of overseas workers have seen a surge in the number of new cases across the country.
The Philippines has the second highest number of infections in Southeast Asia, with more than 57,000 cases and 1,599 deaths.
Indonesia tops the regional rankings with more than 75,000 cases.
Duterte to reopen economy but ‘can’t be like Trump, Bolsonaro’
A record 2,539 new cases were reported on July 8 and the figure has been over 1,000 most days this month.
On Monday, the health department reported more than 2,000 fresh infections for the previous day and a record 162 new fatalities, but it included deaths that had not been counted in recent months.
Researchers from the University of the Philippines project the total number of cases could top 80,000 by the end of July.
Private hospitals Makati Medical Centre and St. Luke’s Medical Centre said on Monday they had reached full capacity for treating Covid-19 patients.
Secretary Carlito Galvez, who heads the inter-agency task force spearheading the government’s response to Covid-19, said on Monday restrictions would be tightened in some areas.
President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce details on Wednesday.



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Coronavirus pandemic

Surge in coronavirus cases triggers fresh lockdown for 250,000 in Manila

People ride along a street in Manila. Photo: Xinhua

The Philippine city of Navotas will be placed under lockdown again due to a surge in coronavirus cases. Photo: EPA-EFE

Coronavirus second wave: which Asian countries are most at risk?

South Korean policemen stand guard in front of the Gwanghwamun palace during an event in Seoul on June 15, 2020. Photo: AP

epa08472652 Indian commuters wearing the protective face mask stands in an queue as they wait for the bus at a bus stop after the city eased the lockdown in Mumbai, India, 08 June 2020. According to media reports, the Indian government has decided to provide relaxation in the ongoing lockdown but it will continue until 30 June, in 'containment zones.' The restrictions will be eased in a phased manner with places of worship, hospitality services and shopping malls scheduled to be opened in the initial phase, with restrictions. The areas termed as 'containment zones' will be identified by authorities and those areas will remain under complete lockdown. EPA-EFE/DIVYAKANT SOLANKI

epa08494007 A woman wearing a protective face mask rides a scooter during an evening rush hour, in Beijing, China, 18 June 2020. Chinese health authorities said that they received reports of 28 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on 17 June of which 21 cases were reported in Beijing. Authorities gave COVID-19 nucleic acid tests to 356,000 people since 13 June, according to the city's government officials, as the number of new coronavirus cases is continuing to increase in the city. EPA-EFE/ROMAN PILIPEY

A cashier wears a face mask while serving a customer in Sydney on June 17, 2020. Photo: Reuters

Duterte reopens Philippine economy but ‘can’t be like Trump, Bolsonaro’ as Covid-19 cases rise

President Rodrigo Duterte says the Philippines cannot afford a “total epidemic or pandemonium” as it reopens its economy. Photo: AP

Customers stand spaced apart in line to enter a pharmacy in Taguig City, Metro Manila, the Philippines, on Monday, June 22, 2020. The Philippines reimposed a lockdown last week on its central islands' most populous Cebu City where a third of those tested were found infected with the coronavirus, while keeping the loose restrictions in the capital region. Photographer: Veejay Villafranca/Bloomberg

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro confirms positive coronavirus diagnosis as he speaks to the media in Brasilia, Brazil July 7, 2020 in this still image taken from video. Brazilian Government TV via Reuters TV THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

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Residents in Navotas will be allowed to go to work, but outdoor exercise will be banned during the two-week shutdown
The relaxation of the containment measures and the return of thousands of overseas workers have seen a rise in infections across the Philippines



Residents in Navotas will be allowed to go to work, but outdoor exercise will be banned during the two-week shutdown.


Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

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