Philippines eases lockdown amid record COVID-19 infections

Hospitals were filling up, with 73 percent of the country’s intensive care capacity already utilised and 61 percent of isolation beds occupied.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte eased COVID-19 restrictions in the capital region starting on Saturday to try to spur economic activity, even as the country reported another record-breaking number of cases setting off apprehension among its overstretched healthcare workers. The health department confirmed on Friday a total of 17,231 new cases, the highest daily number of infections since the pandemic began last year, with 317 new fatalities, also the highest daily death toll in four months. Deaths reached more 1.8 percent of total cases, bringing the August average to 1.5 percent, versus 1.9 percent in July.