(Eagle News) — The 17 mayors of Metro Manila have agreed to impose a common curfew following the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Benhur Abalos said the curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. will start on Monday, March 15, and will last for two weeks.
The development came after the Department of the Interior and Local Government urged local government units in the National Capital Region to adopt a common curfew to ensure ease in enforcement.
It also came after the Department of Health reported 3749 cases on Thursday afternoon, a record high so far this year.
The DOH has said the surge in COVID-19 cases was due to increased mobility and the failure to follow minimum health safety standards, exacerbated by the presence of COVID-19 virus variants.
Earlier, the DOH said 52 more South African variant cases, 31 additional United Kingdom variant cases and “42 additional cases with mutations of potential clinical significance” were monitored in the Philippines.
The DOH had said of the 52 new South African variant cases, 41 were from Metro Manila.
The additional variant cases pushed the total South African variant cases to 58, UK variant cases to 118, and cases with mutations of concern to 76. With a report from Meanne Corvera
