TWO-WEEK CURFEW FOR UNDER-18S IN METRO MANILA
Restriction due to spike in new Covid19 cases
ATWO-week curfew for those below the age of 18 has been imposed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) as of Tuesday due to the spike in Covid-19 cases.
All 17 mayors within Metro Manila agreed to the prohibition, according to the Inquirer.net portal.
“We are implementing age restrictions because of the increase in Covid-19 cases,” MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos Jr. said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We encourage everyone to strictly observe and practise the minimum health protocols, and be extra careful and follow stringent measures, particularly when around vulnerable family members, as there have been reports of transmission among family members,” he said.
Last month, Metro Manila mayors deliberated about how they were keen on allowing teens aged 15 to 17 to go out after the government allowed more establishments to reopen.
The recent spike in the number of new Covid-19 cases has made them reconsider the notion.
On Monday, the Department of Health reported 5,404 new Covid-19 cases, the highest number this year.
The department again began reporting more than 3,000 new cases of Covid-19 on March 5.
On hospital capacity, the department said 53 per cent of intensive care unit beds, 61 per cent of isolation beds, 69 per cent of ward beds, and 73 per cent of ventilators were still available.
While the country detected cases of the more transmissible Covid-19 variants from the United Kingdom and South Africa, and “mutations of possible clinical significance”, the department said the increase in infections was “not solely” because of the variants but also due to the public’s failure to follow health protocols against the spread of the virus.
On Tuesday, 4,437 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded, bringing the total active cases in the country to 57,736.
There were also 116 patients who have recovered, pushing the number of patients who have survived the disease to 560,736.
Also, 11 additional people have died. The Covid-19 death toll is now at 12,848.
A total of 631,320 Covid-19 cases have so far been recorded in the country.