Sites and attractions inside the "Walled City" of Intramuros in Manila will be closed "until further notice" amid the surge of new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the National Capital Region (NCR).
In an announcement posted on its social media pages on Monday, March 15, the Intramuros Administration (IA) said Fort Santiago, Baluarte de San Diego, and Casa Manila Museum will again close its doors to the public.
The three sites were reopened only last month in a bid to gradually revive the tourism industry in Metro Manila even as the pandemic persists.
Visitors will also be barred from Plaza Roma and the President's Gallery, while entry to the top of the walls is also restricted.
The San Agustin Museum and Cultural Center, which reopened last Feb. 24, will also halt its operations from March 17 until April 6 following the advice of the Manila Health Department.
In line with the Metro Manila-wide curfew to be implemented starting March 15, all gates, except those in Manila Cathedral and between the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
A new guideline is that all other plazas should be cleared of people starting at 6:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, all establishments offering board should coordinate with barangay officials before entry is allowed at the gates.
According to the IA, guards will be posted at all entry gates to check where the visitors are headed to, as well as their purpose there.
Pass-through traffic within the walls is also prohibited.
The Philippines confirmed 5,404 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing active cases to 53,479. Monday also marked the first year anniversary when Metro Manila was placed under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to curb the transmission of the disease.