Philippines extends lockdown in Metro Manila, areas with high COVID-19 cases

MANILA - The Philippine government on Friday announced that a lockdown in Metro Manila and provinces on the main island of Luzon with high number of coronavirus infections will remain in place for another two weeks or until May 15.

The Philippine presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the announcement in a recorded televised address that enhanced community quarantine will remain in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon region comprising the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon, and Lucena City, and all other areas with high cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission.

The entire main Luzon island in the Philippines has been under "enhanced community quarantine" from March 16 in a drastic bid to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

On April 7 the Philippine government announced that it's going to extend the enhanced community quarantine to April 30 as the government continues to fight COVID-19.

The Philippines has so far recorded 6,981 COVID-19 cases with 462 deaths and 722 recoveries.