By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – Philippine authorities on Monday eased coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the capital Manila after two months, local media reported.

Markets across the city saw a rush of people, while traffic clogged highways and main thoroughfares.

The government of President Rodrigo Duterte has implemented social distancing measures with public transport running with a limited number of passengers.

Thousands of people returned to their workplaces on Monday, daily Phil Star reported.

The archipelago nation has reported 18,086 coronavirus cases and 957 deaths.

Duterte announced last week that he was relaxing the lockdown in Manila, which is home to 12 million people and the country’s epicenter of virus infections.