Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on 29 March that partial restrictions in and around the Manila capital region will be extended for another month until 31 October to contain the spread of COVID-19.

In a televised address, the president also appealed to the country's top telecommunication firms to "do a better job" with public schools set to reopen with virtual classes on 5 October 5.

Preparations for the resumption of classes have been hit by problems including access, availability and speed of data services.

The archipelago nation reported 3,073 new COVID-19 cases and 37 fatalities on 28 September, taking its total count to 307,288 cases with 5,381 deaths.

Source: VNA