Interior Secretary Eduardo Año gave assurances that there is yet no reason to place Metro Manila under lockdown since the country remains under Code Red Sublevel 1. “As of now, wala pang reason para mag-lockdown (there is no reason for a lockdown),” he said. Lockdown power soughtMeanwhile, a lawmaker has filed a bill giving the Health department the power to lock down infected areas and suspend classes during public health emergencies. “This is so we can contain the spread of infectious diseases wherever these may have occurred and not just limited to those who travelled,” he said. The bill also empowers the DoH to designate hospitals that will be used in times of public health emergencies.

Source: Manila Times March 11, 2020 16:23 UTC