MANILA: The Philippine government on Sunday called for vigilance against the coronavirus, a day after large numbers of people went to shopping malls and ignored safety rules.

Photos and videos showing shoppers in some malls in the capital Manila violating distancing rules went viral on Saturday, drawing widespread public criticism and alarm, prompting the government to issue new warnings.

The government warned malls would be closed again if they do not strictly implement physical distancing and crowd control measures.

The Southeast Asian country has reported 12,513 cases of coronavirus infections and a death toll of 824.

Fears linger over the possibility of a new wave of coronavirus cases following reports of infections increasing again in Germany, new cases in the city of Wuhan in central China, the origin of the outbreak, and in South Korea.

The Philippines has joined a growing number of countries gradually reopening economies shut down by restrictions aimed at containing the pandemic, although its biggest cities - Manila and Cebu - remain in lockdown.