Philippines' Duterte extends coronavirus lockdown in capital Manila to mid May

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has extended a strict lockdown in the capital Manila until May 15 to try to contain coronavirus infections, but will ease restrictions in lower-risk regions of the country, his spokesman said on Friday.

The enhanced community quarantine, as the measures are called, would be expanded to include other parts of the Philippines with large numbers of infections, but restrictions elsewhere would be modified, with incremental resumption of work and commercial activity.

Duterte approved the recommendations of a crisis panel late on Thursday, presidential spokesman Harry Roque told reporters in a text message.

The decision would mean two months of strict lockdown for Manila, where about 70% of the country's 6,981 cases have been recorded.