Malacañang will allow local government units to impose localized lockdowns to enforce minimum health standards amid the daily rapid increase in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 infections, an official said yesterday.

The House of Representatives is looking into providing additional funding to the Department of Health to boost its programs to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, lawmakers bared yesterday.

The government is eyeing 10 million virus tests within the next 10 to 12 months, with plans to cover “essential workers who are in frequent contact with crowds,” according to Vince Dizon, deputy chief implementer of the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 response.

A doctor and two nurses are among the employees at the Antipolo city hall who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, results released yesterday showed.

By the end of August, cases of coronavirus disease 2019 in the country could hit from 61,332 to 95,590.