Coronavirus: Philippines to test localised lockdowns in Metro Manila region
- The health ministry will determine which parts of the capital region – home to 13 million people in 16 cities – will be placed under tight or loose alert levels
- Elsewhere, Australia plans to introduce a digital border pass for vaccinated travellers, and Indonesia relaxed some restrictions in Bali
The localised lockdown would be accompanied by five alert levels designating the range of businesses allowed to operate, including activities targeted at fully vaccinated individuals, officials said. If successful, the same formula could be applied across the Philippines, which is battling one of Asia’s worst coronavirus outbreaks.
The shift in the government’s Covid-19 strategy could soon pave the way for limited face-to-face school classes and the reopening of indoor entertainment facilities in areas with low virus transmission and adequate hospital capacity.
“We should strive for total health and this can only be realised by carefully balancing our Covid-19 response by considering both the health of our people and the economic health of the nation,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said late on Monday.
From Thursday, the alert level would be changed in Metro Manila, allowing outdoor dining at 30% capacity, and indoor dining for small groups of fully immunised people, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergerie told a briefing.
Religious gatherings and personal care services will be allowed at 30 per cent of building capacity.