Philippine city of Cebu locked down again due to alarming virus surge

The Philippine city of Cebu has been locked down again today by President Rodrigo Duterte after a marked rise in coronavirus patients. 

The virus numbers in Cebu City are now at an “alarming” state, the presidential palace said. As of June 12, Cebu City has 3,361 virus patients. So far, 1,710 have recovered, and 33 have died, the Inquirer reports.

Duterte made the decision to reimpose the lockdown yesterday the day the general community quarantine (GCQ) period was supposed to expire for Cebu City, news site Rappler reports.

The cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu will remain under the general community quarantine, while Talisay City, a component city under the province of Cebu, will be placed under modified community quarantine until June 30.

Since June 1, Metro Manila, Cebu City, and several provinces in the country have been under quarantine a phase that critically allows limited public transportation. The rest of the country had been downgraded to modified general community quarantine, which is the loosest quarantine phase, where public transportation may resume full-capacity operations, dine-in in restaurants, cinemas and gyms may re-open at half capacity, and public gatherings permitted with limitations.

The number of coronavirus patients in the Philippines breached 26,000 on Monday. The Department of Health reported 490 new patients.-Photo: Cebu Daily News