The Philippines has further loosened coronavirus restrictions in the capital region, allowing restaurants to accept more guests and gyms to reopen after recording a decline in daily Covid-19 cases, reports Reuters.

The Philippines, which is battling one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in Asia, is gradually relaxing curbs to allow the recovery of the economy.

A small-scale lockdown system imposed on the capital region on September 16 to allow for greater mobility and more businesses to reopen will remain in place up to Oct. 15.

Restaurants and personal care services have been permitted to double their allowable operating capacity to 20 per cent, while fitness studios and gyms have been allowed to reopen their doors, but only to fully vaccinated clients.