By J. Jala | 12:11 AM March 13, 2020
President Rodrigo Duterte announced Thursday a month-long lockdown of the whole of Metro Manila as the Philippines looks to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), adding that he might call on China to help deal with the outbreak.
Land, domestic air, and domestic sea travel to and from the National Capital Region will be suspended from March 15 to April 14.
The President also banned mass gatherings or the “planned or spontaneous event where the number of people attending could strain the planning and response resources of the community hosting the event.”
Duterte’s announcement came as at least 15 Philippine officials and lawmakers scramble to get tested for the novel coronavirus or embark on home quarantine.
To date, the Philippines has 52 confirmed cases of COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus that first emerged in China’s city of Wuhan in Hubei province in late 2019. with a report from AP
