Has the Philippines contained Covid-19? Cebu City suggests otherwise
- Manila this week claimed success in its handling of the pandemic, but a spike in cases has seen Cebu City emerge as a potential epicentre
- There were more than 5,500 Covid-19 cases there as of Monday, along with some 150 deaths
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Monday said government efforts had beaten a projection by University of the Philippines researchers that there would be 40,000 cases by the end of June. The country currently has 38,805 cases, with 1,274 deaths from the disease.
Roque said the “situation was under control” and “the steps taken by the government were correct”.
On March 16, the government imposed a total lockdown on Metro Manila that was only relaxed on June 1. Movement in and out of the capital remains restricted, most mass transport is banned and many businesses are closed.
Philippines health department probed for ‘lapses’ in coronavirus fight
In May, the Metro Manila region accounted for more than 60 per cent of the country’s cases, but local media this week quoted interior secretary Eduardo Ano as saying Cebu City was “more likely” to be the new epicentre because of its rate of infection.