Coronavirus: Philippines extends lockdown of main island until end of April

The measure that began in mid-March was set to end on April 12, but will now have to stay given the sustained growth in virus cases, the government said

Announcing the move, President Duterte said the country’s economy was ‘at a standstill’ and directed officials to find more funds to help citizens

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Men wearing protective masks stand near a village hall during the coronavirus lockdown in Manila on Friday. Photo: AP

Published: 12:59pm, 7 Apr 2020Updated: 11:06pm, 7 Apr 2020

The Philippines has extended a lockdown on Luzon island until the end of April, idling its economic engine and home to most of its population to counter the spread of coronavirus.

The quarantine that began in mid-March was set to end on April 12, but given the sustained growth in virus cases to more than 3,000, the lockdown will have to stay, the government said on Tuesday. The country will need to put more funds toward virus relief, as the 200 billion pesos (US$3.9 billion) set aside so far for cash aid to poor families will not be enough, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday.

“The economy is not moving, it’s at a standstill,” Duterte said, as he directed economic officials to find more funds to support citizens.

The president said he is considering further tweaking this year’s 4.1 trillion-peso budget to shift more funds toward virus response. About 30 billion pesos meant for infrastructure could be diverted for efforts to counter the virus impact, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar told ABS-CBN news.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte addresses the nation during a late night live broadcast from Malacanang, Manila on Monday. Photo: AP

The Economic Planning Agency said last month that even the low-end of its growth estimate – a full-year contraction of 0.6 per cent – “is still too high” if restrictions to movement on Luzon, an island of 60 million people that accounts for 70 per cent of the country’s output, extend beyond one month without government intervention.