MANILA: Philippines will expand tighter Covid-19 restrictions to include four provinces surrounding the capital region, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman said on Sunday, as the country battles a renewed surge in infections.
The restrictions currently in effect in Metropolitan Manila will also be imposed in the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, including night curfews and the prohibition of mass gatherings, Harry Roque said.
The Philippines recorded 7,757 additional Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the second-highest single-day increase in the Southeast Asian nation since the pandemic began.
The daily tally follows Saturday's record infections and marks the third straight day confirmed new cases topped 7,000.
In a bulletin, the Department of Health (DoH) said total recorded cases had risen to 663,794 while confirmed deaths had reached 12,968, with 39 more fatalities recorded on Sunday. Total recoveries increased by 15,288 to 577,754.
The DoH advised the public to suspend non-essential travel and ensure adherence to minimum public health standards, which includes the wearing of masks even at home when not alone.
"We need to ensure that our hospitals do not get overwhelmed, so everyone must act with extreme vigilance and help reduce transmission by consistently adhering to our preventive measures," it said.
The government has re-imposed night curfews in the capital region, where several outbreak-hit communities have been in lockdown and some businesses ordered temporarily shut.