Some 24 million people in Metro Manila and surrounding areas will remain under lockdown for at least one more week after Filipino authorities extended tight quarantines or ECQ to cap a dangerous surge in COVID-19 cases that is overwhelming the healthcare system, officials said.
The Enhanced Community Quarantine in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Bulacan was originally scheduled to run for seven days until Easter Sunday, April 4. However, in the last few days, the Department of Health tallied record numbers, including 15,000 cases on Friday.
Local officials were required to go house-to-house daily to look for persons with symptoms who will be tested and isolated.
"Nirerequire po natin ngayon na makaroon ng daily monitoring ang mga lokal na pamahalaan," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said. "Hindi po business as usual."
The ECQ means most of the 24 million people in the Philippines' economic hub are required to stay indoors, except when running food and medicine errands. Limited on-site work is allowed and restaurants are only allowed take-out and delivery.
Roque said a more relaxed modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ is possible a week after the extended lockdown, depending on the development of the pandemic situation.
"Pupwede naman po tayo mag-MECQ sa susunod na linggo pero titingnan po muna natin ang resulta ng karagdagang ECQ," Roque said.
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The Philippines on Saturday tallied 12,576 new COVID-19 cases, ahead of a meeting of the government's pandemic response task force on whether or not some 24 million people in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces should stay under lockdown.
The country now has 165,715 active COVID-19 cases, according to the Department of Health. On Friday, the DOH tallied 15,310 cases, including 3,709 in backlogs from two days prior.
As the Philippines battles a fresh wave that is overwhelming hospitals, the cumulative total now stood at 784,043 cases, 13,423 deaths, and 604,905 recoveries. On Saturday, the DOH reported 103 deaths and 599 recoveries.