MANILA, Philippines — The government is still “in control” of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis even as the number of cases approached the 130,000 mark, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año assured Monday. Under MECQ, public transportation was suspended anew and several businesses were closed to prevent or minimize the risk of transmission. Earlier, treatment czar and Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said the two-week MECQ will be used for hiring thousands of healthcare workers to address the pandemic. The Department of Health also said the MECQ period will be used to tap health workers from other regions and serve as a “substitution team” for those working in Metro Manila. The Philippines now has the most number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia with 129,913, including 2,270 deaths and 67,673 recoveries.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 10, 2020 00:56 UTC