Philippines: New lockdown in Manila amid spike in COVID-19 cases – What you need to know

Philippines: New lockdown in Manila amid spike in COVID-19 cases – What you need to know

Manila is a megalopolis of 25 million people, including the nearby provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal. That's about two-thirds of Canada's entire 37. 6 million population, a country with a land area 33 times bigger than the Philippines. On Monday, March 29, 2021, a new COVID-19 lockdown was imposed in the capital, home to nearly 13 million inhabitants, the 5th most-populous urban area in the world, and the four surrounding provinces. Curfew hours were expanded. It's the first day of the Lenten Week celebrated in Asia's only Catholic-majority country. The lockdown runs until April 4 “” or Easter Sunday. In pre-COVID times, Easter is usually marked with special church services. Inbound flights are also restricted for one month. No religious gatherings are allowed during the latest lockdown. The contagion has reached the farthest corners of the archipelago, and local governments are keeping their own restriction protocols. Philippines reported 9, 838 coronavirus cases on Friday, the biggest daily jump since the pandemic began. On Saturday, the health department reported 9, 595 new COVID-19 cases. The new lockdown was announced by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who himself had contracted the coronavirus earlier and had recovered. Out of the 731, 894