* Workers stranded, commuters confused over sudden
quarantine
* Southeast Asia sees sharp rise in virus cases
* Malaysia prepares for tight curbs on movement
* Thailand to close entertainment venues, halt holidays
By Neil Jerome Morales and Martin Petty
MANILA, March 17 (Reuters) - Millions of people woke up
confused, confined and frustrated in the Philippines on Tuesday,
as a sweeping home quarantine order kicked in with just a few
hours of warning, and Southeast Asia prepared tighter measures
against a surge in coronavirus cases.
With many unaware that half the population of 107 million
had been told to stay home for a month, stranded workers crowded
checkpoints on the edges of Manila as vehicles tried to duck
suspensions and police impounded taxis that were still running.
"I need to make a living for my family," said Albert Santos,
42, the driver of a passenger jeep, adding that he would try to
make as much money before being forced to stop.
"I can't stop or they have nothing to eat."
The Philippines is the first regional nation to take such
drastic steps against the virus, which President Rodrigo Duterte
described as "the fight of our lives", after deeming existing
curbs on movement and gatherings insufficient. In just 10 days, virus infections in the Philippines climbed
to 142 from three, with 12 deaths.
Malaysia will follow suit from Wednesday, closing borders,
schools and most businesses, while restricting internal
movement, after a daily jump of 125 cases to 553, nearly
two-thirds of them linked to a major event at a mosque.
Cambodia's infections doubled to 24 on Tuesday and Thailand
reported 30 new ones, taking its tally to 177, for a nearly
threefold jump in a week. The regional trend casts more doubt on
the view that warmer weather might stem the spread. Thailand's cabinet agreed on Tuesday to close schools,
cinemas, bars and entertainment centres, and postpone next
month's festivities for New Year in the mainly Buddhist nation.
Manila's usually busy business areas were almost deserted on
the first morning of home quarantine, with only delivery trucks,
police patrols and occasional private vehicles on the roads.
City workers in protective suits disinfected public areas,
security guards sat outside banks and convenience stores and
workers trickled home after night shifts at call centres and
medical clinics, among the few exemptions to Duterte's curbs.
QUARANTINE? WHAT QUARANTINE?
Many shift workers were stranded after transport was
suspended. Police pulled over dozens of taxis, with drivers -
and many commuters - unaware of the new quarantine measures,
announced on Monday afternoon and only clarified late at night.
"I need to work. I don't get paid if I don't show up," said
Sheila Reyes, 24, as she waited hopefully for a ride to a
factory, some of which are allowed to operate.
"If I have to, I'll walk to work."
The measures widen a lockdown since Friday that brought
immigration limits, curfews, closures of schools and malls, bans
on gatherings, social distancing, and restrictions on movement
for the capital.
The Philippines suspended financial markets on Tuesday, the
first trading shutdown in a world struggling to rein in the
virus. Malaysia postponed a meeting this week of APEC finance
officials. Philippine authorities said international airports in Manila
and Clark would be closed to citizens, amid an expected exodus
of foreigners before the expiry of a 72-hour deadline to leave.
Teething troubles from the quarantine were inevitable and
stranded people would receive help to get home and stay there,
said Jonathan Malaya, an interior ministry official.
"As expected, there still are people uninformed on last
night's announcement," he said. "We have some kinks to fix ...
it will normalise once people understand that they really need
to stay home."
In Bangkok's Patpong area, famed for racy nightlife and
counterfeit handbags, bar owners and workers said they were
already suffering from the virus effect, and mandatory closures
were probably for the best.
"We have to follow the government's measures," said one bar
worker, Kornpisit Kutakorn. "We have to do this for the common
interest."