Jermaine Ocampo

In light of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, Metro Manila mayors imposed a uniform curfew in the region from 10PM to 5AM for 2 weeks beginning March 15.

“The mayors had a meeting this [Thursday] evening to consider having a uniformed curfew hour, pinagkasunduan nila ito para hindi na malito ang mga tao para makaisa na lang,” said MMDA Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr.  

The curfew will still have certain exceptions for health workers, frontline personnel, city government workers, private workers, drivers, and those with emergency cases such as the medical or hospital-related endeavors and purchase of food or perishable goods and such other basic necessities from stores or groceries, business, occupation, livelihood or labor.

The Department of Health (DOH) on March 11 reported 3,749 new COVID-19 cases in the country, the highest since September 19, 2020, which pushed the total number of infections in the country to 607,048.

The country has logged in more than 2,400 new cases everyday since March 4, with the bulk of the new cases coming from the National Capital Region.

As of Thursday, March 11, there are a total of 47,769 active cases.

The World Health Organization assured the public that this is not a second wave COVID-19 infections, as the country has yet to slow down the first wave. 

“I wouldn’t classify this as a second wave because if you’re talking of a second wave, we should have seen a complete flattening of the curve. And in the case of [Metro Manila], we didn’t see that kind of flattening,” Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the WHO representative said in a briefing at the DOH. 

---

Photo source: Insider