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MANILA (TO UPDATE)– The Philippines will remain in a state of calamity for another year as it continues to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Rodrigo Duterte extended the period of the state of calamity until September 12, 2021 by Proclamation No. 1021.
“This extension, among other things, will provide the National Government, as well as local government units, broad freedom to continue to use appropriate funds, including the Rapid Response Fund, in their disaster preparedness and response efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, monitor and control the prices of basic necessities and premium products, and provide basic services to affected populations, ”Duterte said in the proclamation signed on September 16.
ONLY IN: President Duterte extends the period of the state of calamity in the Philippines until September 12, 2021 @ABSCBNNews pic.twitter.com/F6BHcMejKY
– Arianne Merez (@arianne_merez) September 18, 2020
Duterte initially declared a 6-month state of calamity on March 16, just as he placed the most populous island in the Philippines, Luzon, under blockade to control the spread of the coronavirus.
The declaration of a state of calamity in March gave the government some leeway to better respond to the pandemic before the enactment of virus response policies, namely the Bayanihan to heal as an act and the Bayanihan to recover as an act. act.
Despite having one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world, the Philippines continues to report hundreds of new COVID-19 infections every day, recording 3,257 new cases on Friday.
Currently, COVID-19 cases in the Philippines have reached 279,526 according to data from the Department of Health.
The virus, which has claimed 4,830 lives in the Philippines, has also forced job cuts and pushed the country into recession, the first in nearly 30 years.
Rodrigo Duterte, state of calamity, COVID-19, coronavirus pandemic, state of calamity of the Philippines, extension of state of calamity
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