HEADS UP: At Least One More Week of ECQ (April 5)

Here's a Heads Up from Reportr.World on news that you need to know today, April 5:

LOCKDOWN TOP STORIES

• The ECQ in Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan was extended for at least one more week, the government said, citing the need to maintain the lockdown to cap the surge in COVID cases. More details are expected today.
• Here's a guide to lockdown rules that will be in effect at least for another week.
• By the numbers: Indonesia and the Philippines have the worst COVID outbreaks in Southeast Asia.
• On April 2, the DOH reported a record 15,310 cases, including a backlog of 3,709 from two days prior.
• Overwhelmed ospitals are crying for help. The Philippine Orthopedic Center said 117 of its 180 staff tested positive for the virus. The tracing czar, Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, also tested positive.
• Uratex is making prone pillows that help COVID patients breathe easier by allowing them to lie on their bellies.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Here's a list of banks that extended free InstaPay and PesoNet transfers up to the end of 2021.

LUGAW IS ESSENTIAL

• A Grab rider who was flagged at a checkpoint for delivering lugaw sparked a national conversation on what counts as essential during the lockdown.
• The rider appealed for help, saying he was under threat and that the lugaw stall was closed down.
• An interior official went viral after jumping on the lugaw issue to revive a long-standing joke against Vice President Leni Robredo, who ignored it and continued working during the pandemic.

VIDEOS:

• The Department of National Defense flagged the continued presence of Chinese ships around Philippine reefs, sparking yet another maritime standoff between Manila and Beijing.
• Hidilyn Diaz, the country's best bet at its first Olympic Gold medal, talks about her journey to Tokyo during her time on Summit Sandwich Sessions.
• Rice farmers in Cotabato are turning straws into eco bags.
• It was yet another Holy Week under lockdown. Here are the traditions we miss, no thanks to the pandemic.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• The Duke of Hastings will be absent from Season of "Bridgerton" on Netflix. Breakout star Rege-Jean Page will not be returning.
• Shanti Dope's "Amats" played in the background during one scene from Episode 3 of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."
• Two prominent Filipino voices were added to #StopAsianHate: Boxing champion, Sen. Manny Pacquiao and actress-philanthropist Angel Locsin.Contact Tracing Czar Magalong Tests Positive for COVID-19
• The Supreme Court has a new chief justice, Alexander Gesmundo, according to Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo.