COVID-19 cases in Philippines soar to 173,774

Manila: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 173,774 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 4,650 new cases on Wednesday.
The DOH said that the number of recoveries rose to 113,481 after it reported 716 more patients have survived the disease.
The death toll also increased to 2,795 after 111 more patients have succumbed to the viral disease, the DOH added.
The Philippine Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Wednesday that Metro Manila mayors will start implementing a "unified" evening curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time as an added measure to limit the movement of people in the capital, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines.
The Philippine government loosened the lockdown restrictions in Metro Manila and outlying provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal after a two-week strict lockdown due to the high rate of community transmission.
Under the new quarantine rules in Metro Manila and the other four provinces, mass gatherings of more than 10 persons are still prohibited.
"Face shields, apart from face masks, are required in commercial places, indoor workplaces and public transport," Roque said in a statement.
Under the new order issued Wednesday, establishments like dine-in restaurants, salons and barbershops are allowed to continue businesses until Aug. 31, when new restriction rules are issued. However, sectors like gyms, sports facilities, testing and tutorial centres, review centres, internet cafes, drive-in cinemas and pet grooming services remain closed.