Security forces kill seven suspected criminals in Philippines
Philippine security forces have killed seven suspected criminals in a clash in southern Philippines, a military commander said Saturday.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday announced the extension of the strict lockdown measures across several parts of the country, including capital Manila, until May 15 in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19.
In a televised address, Duterte announced that everyone was at risk but the probability of getting infected with the virus should not be increased, according to the media report.
Apart from the capital region, the strict lockdown will be maintained during three more weeks in areas such as the island of Luzon – Pangasinan, Benguet, Catanduanes and Albay provinces apart from the central Luzon region – where half of its population lives.
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The quarantine will also be extended in the island provinces of Mindoro, Cebu, Atique, Iloilo and in the central part of the country along with North Davao and Davao city in the southern island of Mindanao.
Duterte took the decision of extending the lockdown in several regions of the country upon recommendation of a group of experts on the COVID-19 response, as they warned that lifting the restrictions so soon could lead to a second wave of infections.
On March 17, Duterte ordered strict quarantine measures for the entire island of Luzon – the biggest and most populous in the country with 57 million inhabitants, including the capital Manila – until April 12.
Earlier, Duterte had ordered police officers to shoot those who violate the strict quarantine imposed in the country over the deadly virus.
The closure of much of the country, including Manila, and strict quarantine and confinement regulations have prevented millions who subsist day by day in the capital’s poorest neighbourhoods from finding a way to earn a living.
Since the outbreak of the infection in January, the Philippines has reported 6,981 cases with 462 deaths and 722 recovered patients.
Meanwhile, globally, there now are 2,726,752 cases of coronavirus. The number of fatalities across the world stands at 191,061, and there have so far been 730,843 recoveries.
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