UPDATE 1-Philippines' Duterte extends coronavirus curbs in capital, nearby provinces

* Strict quarantine measures extended by at least a week
* Philippines logs its second-highest daily COVID-19 cases
* Hospitals in the capital reach critical capacity

(Recasts lead, adds details on lockdown extension)
By Neil Jerome Morales
MANILA, April 3 (Reuters) - Philippines President Rodrigo
Duterte has extended a strict lockdown in the capital region and
adjacent provinces by at least one week to try to contain a
renewed surge in coronavirus infections, his spokesman said on
Saturday.
The Philippines, which has the second-highest COVID-19 cases
and deaths in Southeast Asia, reported 12,576 new coronavirus
infections on Saturday, putting further strain on the healthcare
system.
Restrictions, which include a ban on non-essential movement,
mass gatherings and dining in restaurants, will remain for at
least another week, Duterte's spokesman, Harry Roque, said in a
televised announcement. The measures had been set to end on
April 4. "This will go with intensified prevention, detection,
isolation, tracing and rehabilitation that we will monitor on a
daily basis," Roque said.
Active cases in the country have hit a record 165,715, 96%
of which were mild, health ministry data showed.
But intensive care capacity in the capital region's
hospitals have reached a critical level, with 80% of beds
utilised and many hospitals being forced to turn away patients.
The congested capital region, an urban sprawl of 16 cities
home to at least 13 million people, accounts for two-fifths of
the country's 784,043 confirmed cases and a third of the total
13,423 deaths.
A University of the Philippines research team on Saturday called
for a speedy construction of isolation facilities to prevent
infections spreading through households.
Extended coronavirus curbs will continue to hurt the
Philippines' economy, which posted a record 9.5% slump last
year.
The Philippines has so far inoculated nearly 739,000 people.
This is just 1% of its target of vaccinating 70 million of its
108 million population to achieve herd immunity and safely
reopen the economy.

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Philippines' COVID-19 infection hot spots (as of April 2) https://tmsnrt.rs/3m4CyBd
Philippines battles renewed spike in COVID-19 cases Philippines
battles renewed spike in COVID-19 cases https://tmsnrt.rs/2QfvgPp
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