Philippines orders children back indoors amid fears of virus surge

The restriction comes two weeks after the government lifted a ban on minors going outside that had been in place since March 2020 but often flouted. - AP

MANILA (AFP): The Philippines sent millions of children back into lockdown Friday (July 23) as hospitals prepared for a surge in coronavirus cases fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant ravaging neighbouring countries.

Nearly half of the 47 cases of the more virulent strain detected so far were locally acquired, the health department said, raising fears of a sharp uptick in infections that have topped 1.5 million since the start of the pandemic.