AN inter-agency task force made up of Cabinet officials was set to review on Tuesday various levels of coronavirus lockdowns across the country, according to the presidential palace.

“Let’s see what the decision will be,” Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque said in Filipino at an online news briefing on Tuesday.

“It’s not a foregone conclusion that we’ll revert to a modified enhanced community quarantine because the case doubling rate has not worsened but improved slightly,” he added.

It now takes 8.6 days for coronavirus infections to double nationwide and 8.9 days in Metro Manila, Mr. Roque said. The task force will also look at the country’s critical care capacity, he added.

The recent surge in cases was expected as the economy slowly reopened, but the increased testing capacity — about 1.3 million tests so far — also had to do with it, he said.

The Department of Health reported 1,687 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, bringing the total to 83,673.

The death toll rose to 1,947 after four more patients died, while recoveries increased by 173 to 26,617, it said in a bulletin. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

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