Fewer shoppers visit Greenhills amid COVID-19 scare

Fewer shoppers frequented the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan after it was reported that the fifth confirmed COVID-19 case in the Philippines often visited a prayer room there.

According to Maki Pulido's Monday report on "24 Oras," some vendors in the mall already incurred losses since Friday.

From their P10,000 boundary, now, vendors only earn up to P1,000. Some even go home empty-handed.

The fifth patient, who is a 62-year-old man with no travel history abroad, was confirmed to be the first case of local transmission of the virus in the country.

San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora, however, said the whole mall, including the prayer room, was already disinfected on Friday.

"I would like to assure the public that it is safe to go to the Greenhills Shopping Center and it is safe to go to the City of San Juan and that the city is doing everything it can do to ensure safety," Zamora said.

Zamora also said the number of persons under investigation in San Juan rose to 32. Most of the PUIs are staff members of the Cardinal Santos Memorial Center, where the fifth patient was confined.

Meanwhile, Zamora said protocols are already in place for the city amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Disinfection of all public buildings in the city such as schools and hospitals already begun as well.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told GMA News Online in a text message that the fifth confirmed case is in critical condition as of Saturday.

At a press briefing earlier, Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the country has recorded 10 more cases of the virus, bringing the total number of cases to 20.

The number of deaths due to COVID-19 remained at one --  a 44-year-old Chinese male who was the first death recorded outside China. —Ma. Angelica Garcia/LDF, GMA News