Coronavirus lockdown launches Manila into pandemonium

From the article:

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday ordered a “lockdown” of the entire metro Manila region from March 15 to April 14 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Flanked by army and police officials, the president delivered a meandering, often contradictory address to the nation, leaving residents scrambling to prepare for a month of potential isolation in a region that already struggles to provide access to food, water, and medical care to over 12 million inhabitants.

The address left residents tense and confused, unsure how or why the sweeping lockdown measures, which Duterte said would instill “peace and order” in the region, would be enforced, and how they would address the needs of Filipinos unable to work remotely or access hospitals.

And government officials seem to have no clearer idea than ordinary citizens. Less than 24 hours before community quarantine begins, most people still didn’t understand what it meant—including the health workers responsible for treating suspected coronavirus patients.

[...]

On Friday morning, supermarkets were packed with panicked shoppers, and bus stations were crowded with residents racing to the countryside to wait out the lockdown. Schools will close for one month, and mass gatherings have been banned, although businesses and retailers have been urged to remain open. Public transportation will continue to operate, as will some international flights to Manila’s airport, but domestic land, sea, and air connections will be suspended on Sunday at 12 a.m.