More than 27 million people in the capital Manila and 4 neighboring provinces received notice of the blockade order just 24 hours before the implementation time, which required the closure of many businesses, stopping public transport and
Damaso decided to leave Manila after the first lockdown in March devastated the economy and put millions of workers like him out of work.
However, now he is stuck at the airport, where many employees wearing tight white protective suits try to deal with the stranded people.
`We’re out of money. We can’t leave the airport because we don’t have any relatives here,` Damaso, 36, said as he huddled in a towel wrapped around his shoulders because the air conditioning was too cold.
A man was stuck at the airport in the capital Manila because of the blockade today.
President Rodrigo Duterte has reluctantly re-imposed a stay-at-home order and other measures in response to pleas from medical staff overwhelmed with patients.
The number of infections in the Philippines has surpassed 100,000, increasing fivefold since June when the country eased one of the world’s longest blockades.
The government believes that this strong outbreak is due to people not complying with measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
A Quezon City official also threatened to `shoot` anyone who violated the blockade order, sparking outrage.
The new blockade, affecting a quarter of the Philippine population, has shut down much of the country’s economy, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said, warning of a `huge decline` in economic activity.
Hair salons, movie theaters, and gyms are all closed, while restaurants can only accept take-out orders.
After losing her job, Gina Balos and her family planned to fly back to Butuan, a city in the southern Philippines, where the airport is closest to her hometown on Dinagat island.
However, they did not have money to pay for nCoV testing, so they were not allowed to board the flight on August 3.
`We have been stuck here since yesterday because of the province’s rapid testing requirement. The cost for 11 of us is too much,` said Balos, 45 years old.
