Philippines extends coronavirus curbs until mid-July

FILE PHOTO: Frederick Obedoza Jr, janitor at a shopping mall, receives a dose of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine as vaccinations start for economic workers, at Robinsons Place, in Manila, Philippines, June 8, 2021. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo

MANILA (Reuters) - President Rodrigo Duterte has prolonged restrictions on movement and businesses in the Philippine capital and nearby provinces until mid-July, and retained stricter COVID-19 curbs in central and southern areas, an official said on Tuesday.

Infections in the capital region, home to at least 13 million people, have dropped since peaking in April, but some provinces are battling spikes as the country scrambles to distribute and administer vaccines.