Millions of people in the Philippines won’t be celebrating Easter as normal this year after the majority Catholic country imposed a strict lockdown in the capital and nearby provinces.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced the lockdown Saturday after the country reported 9,838 new Covid-19 cases — the country’s highest single day increase, according to official state media Philippines News Agency. Philippines has reported more than 720,000 冠状病毒病例, 包含 13,170 死亡人数, making it one of the worst affected countries in Asia.
The country has seen a steep rise in daily reported cases since February, and the country is now reporting more than 9,000 new cases a day. There are more than 105,000 active cases, according to the Philippines’ Department of Health.
多于 25 million people across Metro Manila and nearby provinces Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal will be affected by the lockdown.
Filipino Catholics wearing facemasks and face shields carry palm fronds as they pray outside a church to celebrate Palm Sunday on March 28, 2021 in Quezon city, 马尼拉大都会, 菲律宾.
The lockdown begins Monday, and runs until April 4 — or Easter Sunday, a day when Christians often celebrate with special church services. Religious gatherings are not allowed during the holy week.
That’s a blow for the Philippines, where more than 90% of the population are Christian, 根据 CIA World Factbook.
The measures include a curfew from 6 下午. 直到 5 上午. — tightened from the previous 10 下午. curfew. Gatherings of more than 10 people outside are not allowed, and non-household members cannot gather indoors, 政府说.
Diners are not allowed to eat in restaurants, although take-out and delivery services can go ahead.
The Philippine National Police has deployed thousands of officers in checkpoint areas to help enforce the rules, 根据一个 PNA report.
Vaccines are being rolled out to medical frontliners, and last week the Department of Health urged people who were not health care workers to refrain from jumping the queue.
“Do not worry. Our goal is still to ensure that everybody will be vaccinated. But while we do this, the government is prioritizing healthcare workers as they are the most exposed and the most at risk of getting Covid,” National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar secretary Carlito Galvez said.
“More vaccines will arrive, we are sure of that. We just have to wait for our turns to be vaccinated.”
