By Neil Jerome Morales
MANILA (Reuters) – A broader blockade in the Philippines cannot be ruled out if the rise in COVID-19 infections continues, his Health Minister said on Wednesday, as officials announced restrictions on international arrivals to prevent the virus from spreading. .
The government is facing new criticism about how to deal with the epidemic after a jump in coronavirus cases – almost 20,000 in the last four days – a year after imposing one of the most rigid and longest blockages in the world.
The authorities attribute the increase to the relaxation of some mobility restrictions to allow people to return to work and revive the economy after a 9.5% contraction last year, the worst economic recession in Southeast Asia.
“If nothing changes and the cases continue to increase, then the possibility of a more generalized blockade is strong,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque told the ANC news channel, adding that he hopes that this can be avoided in the next few days.
Although some restrictions have been eased, many restrictions have been in place for a year, including the interregional movement and the closing of schools.
The Philippines recorded 631,320 infections and 12,848 deaths in total.
For a month, starting on March 20, foreigners and some returning citizens will be barred from entering the country, his coronavirus task force said Tuesday night.
Accredited foreign government officials, returning Filipino workers and emergency cases will be exempt. He also limited arrivals to 1,500 a day at his main airport.
The capital region, where at least 13 million people live, imposed a two-week curfew and ordered anyone under the age of 18 to stay at home.
Several Manila hospitals have sounded the alarm, saying the intensive care facilities are almost full, although health officials say they can handle it.
Many experts say that all sectors are to blame for the increase.
“We have to be humble enough to admit that we have all failed in so many ways in terms of our preventive measures at the personal and institutional level,” Aileen Espina, a public health expert, told the ANC.
(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Ed Davies, Martin Petty)