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Philippine authorities have limited travel to and from the capital and neighboring regions for about two weeks as coronavirus cases hit record levels.
The metropolitan area of Manila and the adjacent provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal will be placed in a “bubble” from March 22 to April 4, said presidential spokesman Harry Roque in a live interview on Sunday. Trips inside the bubble will be unimpeded, he said.
Religious meetings and dinners in restaurants are prohibited, while participation in weddings, baptisms and funeral services will be limited within the bubble, said Roque. An evening curfew will be implemented, he said.
The order comes as the country publishes its second highest daily coronavirus count on Sunday, the day after reaching a record number of daily cases. Essential workers, including those in the health and humanitarian sectors and some government leaders, as well as people seeking medical treatment and going to the airport for trips abroad, are exempt from the ban, said Roque.