Fresh lockdown for 250,000 in Manila

MANILA: 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.