MANILA (CNA) – The Philippines will lift a stay-at-home order in the capital Manila this week as it trials “granular lockdowns”, an official said yesterday, in a bid to rein in COVID-19 cases and revive the economy.
The country also reported 22,415 COVID-19 cases – a new record high in daily infections.
In a bulletin, the Health Ministry said total confirmed cases reached more than 2.1 million, while 103 more deaths were reported, taking total fatalities to 34,337.
Over 13 million people in the national capital region – the country’s economic heartland – have been in lockdown since Auguest 6 amid record infections fuelled by the hyper-contagious Delta variant.
The move to ease restrictions from tomorrow comes after nationwide daily cases exceeded 20,000 for the past three days – double the number at the start of the latest lockdown – straining hospitals as they grapple with a nurses shortage.
Except in Manila, MM hospitals 70% occupied, critical risk for COVID
The entire National Capital Region, except the city of Manila, is under the highest alert level for the coronavirus due to a spike in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the Department of Health said Monday.
COVID WARD. Suspected COVID-19 patients rest in a parking lot turned into a COVID ward outside a hospital in Binan town, Laguna on September 6, 2021, with record infections fuelled by the hyper-contagious Delta variant. Maria Tan/AFP
