Philippines coronavirus task force recommends Duterte ease one of world’s toughest lockdowns in Manila

The Philippines’ coronavirus task force has recommended President Rodrigo Duterte ease one of the toughest and longest lockdowns in the world for residents in the capital, Manila. This weekend, Manila’s lockdown will surpass the 76-day quarantine of Wuhan, the Chinese city where the first outbreak of the coronavirus was detected.

The recommendation came even as daily infections this week were the highest since April 6. Confirmed cases in the past six days comprise nearly 11 percent of the total 15,049 recorded, of which 904 led to deaths, Reuters said.

Health authorities have missed the target of testing 30,000 people a day, with nearly 290,000 conducted since January, equivalent to about 0.26 percent of the 107 million population.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque described the recommendations as a compromise, adding that there is “the need to reopen the economy and the need to contain the spread of Covid-19.”