MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte friday prolonged restrictions on new coronaviruses in the capital, Manila, until mid-August and said the country would take precedence in terms of source if China made a breakthrough with a vaccine.
This month, the Philippines recorded the largest accumulation of coronavirus deaths in Southeast Asia and the largest buildup in a day showed infections, crushing fitness staff and hospitals in some cities.
The capital region, the provinces south of the Capital Region and central Philippines cities have been subject to quarantine restrictions since June, restricting the movement of the elderly and young people and business activities from restaurants to gyms.
“My prayer is even more. Many have become infected,” Duterte said in a televised speech.
An organization that manages the coronavirus said it would impose closures in high-altitude spaces, while urging the government and personal hospitals to increase the capacity of beds for COVID-19 patients.
Duterte promised loose vaccines if they are available until the end of this year, prioritizing the poor, then the middle class, the police and the military.
China would prioritize the Philippines in the distribution of vaccines, he said.
“I promise you that until December, by the grace of God, we will return to normal,” Duterte said.
Pharmaceutical companies in countries such as China, the United States and Britain are conducting vaccine trials.
Duterte said last week that he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to make the Philippines one of the first to get vaccines if a vaccine was developed.
The Philippines planned to buy 40 million doses for $400 million for 20 million people, or about a fifth of its 107 million inhabitants, finance secretary Carlos Dominguez said.
“Once the vaccine is available, we can open it completely,” Dominguez said.
Blockades imposed in mid-March, among the strictest and longest in the world, crippled the Philippine economy, which had experienced the fastest expansion in Asia before the pandemic. Gross domestic product is expected to fall from 2% to 3.4% this year, the first contraction in more than two decades.
The Philippines has the highest number of coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia after Indonesia, with instances nearly five times higher to succeed at 89,374 and deaths that have more than doubled to 1,983 since the blockade decreased in June.
Reports by Neil Jerome Morales; Edited through Ed Davies
All quotes were delayed for at least 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of transactions and delays.
© 2020 Reuters. All rights are reserved.