Philippines extends virus lockdown in economic hub

MANILA: The Philippines will extend a coronavirus lockdown of more than 24 million people, an official said on Saturday, as it deploys tents and health workers to overwhelmed hospitals in the capital where cases are surging.

People in Metro Manila -- the national capital region -- and four neighbouring provinces will have to stay home for another week unless they are essential workers, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

The announcement came as the number of new infections for a single day hit a record high of 12,576, taking the country’s caseload to more than 784,000, including over 13,400 deaths.

More contagious variants of the virus and poor compliance with health protocols have been blamed for the surge in recent weeks. "We call on local governments to tighten enforcement of our quarantine measures and confront people who fail to follow minimum health standards," Roque said.