(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines has eased its rules on mass gatherings as part of a broader policy to further reopen businesses as new coronavirus infections fell to their lowest in almost five months.
Hotels, malls and restaurants may now hold trade events, seminars and board meetings in areas under general community quarantine including in Metro Manila, provided only 30% of the venue's capacity is used, the nation's virus task force said in a resolution released Friday.
The move will help boost the economy and aid the hotel industry, the Management Association of the Philippines said in a statement. Economic managers are pushing to further reopen an economy that's forecast to shrink as much as 9.5% this year.
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The Philippines has the second-worst outbreak in Southeast Asia, even as daily cases have declined over the past days. It reported 934 new cases on Friday, the lowest since mid-July and pushing total infections to over 436,000. The number of persons tested, however, has also fallen to over 25,000 from a high of almost 45,000 in September, based on Health Department data.
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