Palace: Gyms, spas, internet cafes ordered closed by NCR mayors for two weeks
MANILA, Philippines — More establishments have been ordered closed by Metro Manila mayors for the next two weeks, Malacañang said Tuesday, as the capital region and nearby areas struggle to contain an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases.
"The Metro Manila mayors have voted [to] close gyms, spas and internet cafes for the next two weeks," presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in Filipino during a virtual briefing.
Roque said the vote was in accordance with guidelines from the Department of Trade and Industry which give local executives the power to shutter the aforementioned establishments to curb the spread of the virus.
Confusing 'bubble' rules
President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday approved the tightening of restrictions in Metro Manila and four provinces in Calabarzon and in Central Luzon for two weeks, belatedly and inadequately heeding the call of healthcare workers and experts for a temporary lockdown to arrest the alarming spike in infections. Included in the approved coronavirus task force resolution were bans on non-essential travel and mass gatherings.
READ: IATF: Non-essential travel suspended in and out of Metro Manila, Calabarzon areas
The implementation of restrictions within the "bubble area," was delegated mostly to local government units.
However, this has not stopped unclear messaging from national authorities, with the police on Monday saying that tourism would still be allowed within the "NCR Plus" bubble, even as the Palace told people to stay at home.
The Philippines on Monday recorded 8,019 new infections, breaching the 8,000-mark for the first time ever and setting a record-high for the fourth day in a row. The national caseload is at 671,792 while the death toll stands at a grim 12,972.
It has been 373 days since parts of Metro Manila were first placed under community quarantine.
— Bella Perez-Rubio
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