Philippines quarantines island

President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Philippine island of Luzon under an "enhanced community quarantine" until April 12 to stop the spread of coronavirus.

In a televised public address on Monday, Duterte said public movement would be restricted to only buying food, medicine and other essential items necessary for survival.

"Only establishments that provide services like food and medicine shall be open," said Duterte.

The president also instructed the labour and social welfare departments to implement measures that would alleviate the burden of the lockdown on small business and wage workers. He also urged businesses to release the mandatory 13th-month pay to their employees.

According to the health department's latest figures, there are 142 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines and 12 fatalities.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo earlier explained that under an enhanced community quarantine, "strict home quarantine shall be implemented in all households, transportation shall be suspended, provision of food and essential services shall be regulated and heightened presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine procedures will be implemented".
It is effectively a lockdown of the country's largest and most populous island, affecting about 57 million people.

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