Philippines to extend night curfew in Manila amid COVID-19 surge

The Philippines will extend a night curfew in Manila amid a tightening of restrictions to combat a potential surge in cases of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, a government official said on Monday. Metropolitan Manila, already subject to a six hour curfew from 10:00 p.m. (1400 GMT), will bring forward that curfew by two hours to 8:00 p.m. (1200 GMT), said Benjamin Abalos, chair of the region's governing body. 'This will stop the virus for the meantime. What's important is our hospitals don't get full,' Abalos told a briefing.