Metro Manila casinos to remain closed until at least May 14
Analysts believe the current restrictions in Manial may last for another two months as the Philippines has a low rate of vaccination rollout.
The Philippines.- The government has announced the extension of Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila until at least May 14.
The decision comes after the Philippines recorded 8,276 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, and a total of 69,354 active cases.
The MECQ was originally planned to last until April 30, but Covid-19 cases continue to rise. Metro Manila casinos have announced that they will remain closed until further notice.
Analysts at Nomura predict that the restrictions could be extended for two months because “two weeks are unlikely to sufficiently bring down cases and ease hospital occupancy rates to safer levels.”
They noted that the vaccination rate in The Philippines is very low.
They said: “The government reported that around 2m doses have been administered, which is only about 0.9 per cent of the population and one of the lowest in the region (alongside Thailand).”
Meanwhile, PAGCOR Chairman Andrea Domingo has recently reported that half of the 60 online casinos that were operating in The Philippines have permanently shut down because of the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.
