Philippines 30cm distancing rule seen as 'reckless'; COVID-19 deaths hit record

FILE PHOTO: A passenger wears a face mask and face shield on board a bus, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, September 7, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezMANILA: Experts described as dangerous and premature on Monday the Philippines' decision to cut the social distancing minimum to 30cm on public transport, as the country saw another daily record in newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths.

The new rules took effect on Monday, when the country reported 259 new confirmed deaths, a record for the second time in three days. Total fatalities increased to 4,630, while infections have doubled in the past 35 days to 265,888, Southeast Asia's highest number. "Even if you wear a face shield and mask, reducing the distance between, it will be dangerous," he said, adding that 1 or 2 metres was the minimum international standard.The transport ministry's new rules cut the distance to 75cm on Monday, 50cm on Sep 28 and 30cm on Oct 12. Conversation and phone calls are now prohibited.

Manila's transport systems are notoriously crowded, with commutes typically involving long queues and several changes."It is likely that we will see an increase in cases and our recovery will slow if we do this now," said epidemiologist Antonio Dans.

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