MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night rejected the proposal to put the National Capital Region (NCR) under lockdown as the confirmed 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection in the country spiked to 24.
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda earlier proposed a lockdown of Metro Manila to prevent the spread of the virus.
But Duterte, in a press briefing in Malacañang, said: “We haven’t reached that kind of contamination.”
“There will be a time I suppose. I hope not. I hope God will have mercy on our Filipino people. [But] it’s too early,” he added.
In a press briefing Monday afternoon, the number of confirmed cases in the country doubled to 20 as the DOH announces 10 more cases.
Hours after, Duterte announced four new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total cases in the Philippines to 24.
READ: Coronavirus cases in Philippines hits 24
According to Salceda, bus trips, domestic flights, and highway operations will be barred under the lockdown, but the delivery of food, medicines, and health services is exempted.
Salceda said this could be considered as “grand staycation.”
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said, however, that it would be “premature” put Metro Manila under lockdown, stressing that they would still have to see evidence of sustained community transmission of the coronavirus.
READ: Place NCR on lockdown over coronavirus? ‘Premature at this point’ – DOH
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