Philippines Covid-19 cases hit record

Philippines Covid-19 cases hit record

Residents receive Pfizer-BioNtech booster shots at a drive-thru Covid-19 vaccination site in Manila on Thursday. (Photo by AFP)
Residents receive Pfizer-BioNtech booster shots at a drive-thru Covid-19 vaccination site in Manila on Thursday. (Photo by AFP)

The Philippines will keep movement restrictions in its capital Manila from Jan 16 to 31, as daily Covid-19 infections and the percentage of positive tests hit record highs.

Metro Manila, which accounts for a third of economic output, will remain under Alert Level 3, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a briefing on Friday. Outdoor restaurants can operate at half capacity, while cinemas, gyms and other indoor businesses are limited to 30% capacity.

The post-holiday spike in infections has led to tighter limits on businesses in the capital, disrupted airlines and banks, and shortened stock trading. Hospital beds in the capital are again filling up, with the unvaccinated accounting for most severe and critical cases, prompting the government to restrict movement. 

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