Shorter curfew hours will be imposed on Metro Manila as the region shifts from the enhanced community quarantine to the looser modified enhanced community qurantine (MECQ).
Starting today the curfew hours will be from 8pm to 5am, according to a statement released by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). The curfew will last until April 30, the day that the MECQ is scheduled to be lifted.
“[A]uthorized persons outside residence (APOR) are still exempted from the curfew provided they show proof of identification or certificate of employment to authorities,” the MMDA said.
Read: PH ‘has lost’ its battle against COVID, says hospital association president
Metro Manila—along with the provinces of Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna— have been placed under a quarantine called NCR Plus bubble to control the surge of COVID cases. Hospitals have been inundated with patients, and many of them are facing a shortage of manpower, equipment, and medicine. Some patients have had a hard time looking for hospitals to admit them, and a few reportedly died in makeshift tents and parking lots due to the health crisis.
As of today, there are a total of 864,868 COVID cases recorded in the country, including 14,945 deaths. The Duterte administration has started inoculating health workers, senior citizens, and people with comorbidities but admitted that it has a hard time procuring vaccines due to global supply issues.
Update: The Philippine National Police said it has yet to receive a copy of the MMDA’s resolution. Until it does, the police said that curfew hours will remain 6pm to 5am.
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