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Palace: COVID-19 cases may spike if mall-goers spurn rules

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/05/18/20200517-sm-escalator.jpg"/><figcaption>Shopping mall employees wearing protective equipment against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) clean the handrails of escalators in a shopping mall, which has reopened after two months as the lockdown restrictions ease, in Quezon City, May 17, 2020. Eloisa Lopez, Reuters</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — Novel coronavirus cases might spike and overstretch Philippine resources if mall-goers continue to defy safety rules, Malacañang warned Monday. Shopping mall operators should ensure there is only one person for every 2 square meters and that their patrons wear masks, said Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque.&quot;Nand&#x27;yan pa rin ang virus. Habang wala pong bakuna, habang wala pang gamot, hindi pa rin po tayo ligtas sa COVID-19,&quot; Roque said in a press briefing.(The virus is still there. While there is no vaccine yet, while there is no cure, we are not yet sage from COVID-19.) &quot;Kung magmamatigas ang marami sa atin, marami po talaga ang magkakaroon ng COVID-19 at tutulad po tayo sa ibang bansa kung saan tumaas ang kaso ng COVID-19 pagkatapos i-relax ang mga restrictions at ang mga tao&#x27;y hindi na sumusunod sa mga itinakdang health standards,&quot; he added. (If many of us continue to disobey, more people will catch COVID-19, and we&#x27;ll be like other countries where COVID-19 cases spiked after restrictions were eased and people no longer followed health standards.) <figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/THUD_PwPAKc?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>People thronged shopping centers over the weekend as the government started easing a 2-month long lockdown in Metro Manila and urban centers to stop the economy from shrinking.Photos of crowded corridors, a violation of physical distancing protocols, went viral on social media and caused alarm. Mall operators have called on the public to observe new safety rules. &quot;Sa mga malls po na hindi sumusunod sa social distancing at crowd control, madali lang po iyan -- ipasasara kayo muli,&quot; said Roque. (Malls that do not follow social distancing rules and crowd control, it&#x27;s easy -- you will be closed again.) <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/17/20/malls-that-violate-curfew-physical-distancing-face-closure-govt">Malls that violate curfew, physical distancing face closure: gov&#x27;t</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/18/20/cavite-closes-all-malls-after-shoppers-snub-coronavirus-rules">Cavite closes all malls after shoppers snub coronavirus rules</a></li></ul>The Philippines has logged 12,513 COVID-19 cases, as of May 17, of which, 2,635 patients have recovered while 824 have died.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/infographic/03/17/20/tracking-covid-19-cases-in-the-philippines">Tracking COVID-19 cases in the Philippines</a></li></ul>As of Saturday, May 16, the country has 13,457 hospital beds allotted for COVID-19 cases, 4,964 of which are occupied, according to the Department of Health. It also has 40,497 beds in temporary isolation facilities, and 2,908 in &quot;Heal as One&quot; centers.If the &quot;doubling time&quot; for COVID-19 cases shortens to 2 days, the country will run out of beds for patients in a week or 2, Roque said. &quot;Sa kalye na po kayo ilalagay,&quot; he told potential patients. (You&#x27;d have to stay in streets.) <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/12/20/duterte-we-cannot-afford-another-wave-of-coronavirus-infections">Duterte: We cannot afford another wave of coronavirus infections</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/15/20/sm-megaworld-to-reopen-malls-on-may-16-with-health-protocols">SM, Robinsons, Megaworld to reopen malls on May 16 with health protocols</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/04/24/20/free-wifi-no-more-warmer-air-conditioning-some-malls-allowed-to-reopen">Free WiFi no more, warmer air-conditioning: Some malls allowed to reopen</a></li></ul>The Philippines loosened its lockdown in the same week that its COVID-19 tally <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/15/20/philippines-number-of-cases-coronavirus-disease-covid19-tally-update-may-12-doh">breached the 12,000-mark</a>.

Novel coronavirus cases might spike and overstretch Philippine resources if mall-goers continue to defy safety rules, Malacañang warned Monday.

Novel coronavirus cases might spike and overstretch Philippine resources if mall-goers continue to defy safety rules, Malacañang warned Monday.