MANILA — Some 27 million people in the Philippines or about a quarter of the population went back under the second strictest lockdown level on Tuesday after exhausted health workers warned the country was losing the battle against the coronavirus.

Since the beginning of June, when much of the country emerged from one of the world's longest stay-at-home orders, confirmed infections in the archipelago have increased fivefold, surging past 100,000.

The new restrictions announced by President Rodrigo Duterte late Sunday apply to Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Quezon until Aug. 18.

• What you need to know about the MECQ reversion

For the next 2 weeks, public transport will be halted and domestic flights grounded to try and slow the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 2,000 people in the country.

People have been ordered to stay home unless they need to buy essential goods or exercise outdoors.

Only a limited number of businesses will be allowed to operate and restaurants will be permitted to serve only take-aways.

• Dining-in restaurants, review centers, salons 'not allowed' under MECQ: DTI

"We really fell short. Nobody anticipated this," Duterte said, as he rejected calls for the Health Secretary Francisco Duque to be sacked.

"Nobody expected that thousands will get sick on a single day.”

• 'A series of devastating blunders': Lacson renews call for Duque resignation as virus cases rise

WORKERS STRUGGLE ON THE ROAD

Security guard Lito Sulit was among thousands who had to walk or rely on free rides to get to work. He started trudging 16 kilometers at 3 a.m. to reach his office in Quezon City.

“Kahit walang masakyan, maglalakad na lang ako para lang may maipakain sa pamilya ko," he said.

(Even if there’s no means of transport, I will just walk to work just so I could feed my family.)

TINGNAN: 2 a.m. pa lang ay naglakad na mula sa Batasan Hill, Quezon City ang construction worker na si Jayson papunta sa pinagtatrabahuan sa Brixton, Pasig kung saan siya magstay-in habang naka-MECQ ang Metro Manila at ilang kalapit na lugar nito. | via @LyzaAquinoDZMM pic.twitter.com/WGZJP6LatJ

— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) August 3, 2020

“Kailangan ko magtrabaho. Maglalakad na lang ako para lang may mapakain sa pamilya ko,” ani Lito, security guard, na 3 a.m. pa lang ay naglakad na mula Payatas A, Quezon City papunta sa kanyang trabaho sa G. Araneta Avenue—na may layo na halos 16 kilometro. | via @LyzaAquinoDZMM pic.twitter.com/4nfQRIWaR4

— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) August 3, 2020

Alas-2 ng madaling araw gumising ang call center agent na si Jovielyn Sartaguda para makapasok ng alas-8 sa kanyang opisina.

"May motor naman asawa ko at pwede sana ako sumabay, pero pinagbawalan angkas. Kaya eto di ako sigurado. Sana payagan nila angkas!" | via @JervisManahan pic.twitter.com/pXETLgOimz

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) August 3, 2020

Vice President Leni Robredo’s office, other agencies and some drivers offered free rides. However, these were not enough, leaving workers waiting for rides at some thoroughfares.

Hirap muli ang ilang trabahador na makapasok sa kanilang pinagtatrabahuhan dahil walang masakyan ngayong MECQ ulit sa Metro Manila.

Umaasa sa libreng sakay mula sa gobyerno o sa pribadong indibidwal ang ilang commuter sa Commonwealth Ave. ngayong Martes | Ulat ni @JervisManahan pic.twitter.com/1CHfZ0pMa9

— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) August 3, 2020

LOOK: The Office of the Vice President revives its free shuttle services for frontliners as MECQ is implemented in Metro Manila, but due to limited space not everyone was accommodated in Fairview, Quezon City including 2 endoscopic technicians. | via @adrianayalin pic.twitter.com/kZg4WwhNpg

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) August 3, 2020

LOOK: Commuters along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City wait for free rides as public transportation is once again suspended due to modified enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila.

"Nagbabaka-sakali lang, baka may magpa-sakay," said one worker. | via @JervisManahan pic.twitter.com/9hXrCHgOpo

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) August 3, 2020

Authorities in MECQ areas revived checkpoints between towns to make sure that travelers are on essential business.

Mahaba na ang pila ng mga sasakyan sa San Mateo-Batasan PNP Checkpoint ngayong unang araw ng MECQ sa Metro Manila at ilang karatig probinsya.

Iniinspeksyon ang ID, dokumento ng mga motorista at isinasailalim rin sila sa temperature check. | via @LyzaAquinoDZMM pic.twitter.com/4NC4maJIAw

— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) August 3, 2020

Nanawagan ang PNP-HPG sa mga motorista na magdala ng kaukulang ID sa trabaho para hindi maabala.

Pinapayagan naman ang mga motorsiklo na mag-angkas ng mga frontliner ngayong nasa MECQ muli ang Metro Manila, ayon kay PNP HPG NCR Chief PCol. Winston Doromal. | via @RadyoPatrol44 pic.twitter.com/V8EWgcckKp

— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) August 4, 2020

STRANDED TRAVELERS

With only 24 hours' notice of the shutdown, many found themselves stranded in Manila and unable to get back to their hometowns after public transport and domestic flights were halted.

"We've run out of money. We can't leave the airport because we don't have any relatives here," said Ruel Damaso, a 36-year-old construction worker trying to return to the southern city of Zamboanga.

"We will have to stay here for 2 weeks until we get our flights back."

LOOK: Stranded passengers of domestic flights since July camp inside NAIA T3. All domestic flights cancelled following implementation of MECQ in Metro Manila until August 18.

(Photos taken 8:20 AM today, August 4.) | via @jacquemanabat #COVID19Quarantine pic.twitter.com/ulZviqw8Au

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) August 4, 2020

The world's hope of ending the current cycle of outbreaks and lockdowns rests on a vaccine.

Russia said Monday it aimed to launch mass production of a vaccine in September and turn out "several million" doses per month by next year.

But Vitaly Zverev, laboratory chief at the Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera, said it was "impossible to ensure a vaccine's safety in the time that has passed since the beginning of this pandemic."

"You can make anything, but who is going to buy it?"

The WHO warned that governments and citizens should focus on what is known to work: testing, contact tracing, maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask.

"We all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.

"However, there's no silver bullet at the moment -- and there might never be."

The MECQ declaration comes after 80 medical associations representing tens of thousands of doctors on Saturday called for Duterte to tighten virus restrictions as hospitals, unable to cope with the influx of patients, turned people away.

Health workers from Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila stage a ‘Silent Protest’ on Tuesday expressing concern over the safety of their fellow health workers, mothers and infants in the hospital who are non #COVID19 patients. pic.twitter.com/KVavJn4YHa

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) August 4, 2020

• Palace to virus frontliners: Why was Duterte 'last to know' your demands?
• Virus fighters tell Duterte: We never called for revolt

The government has blamed poor compliance with virus restrictions for the sharp increase in infections which have been concentrated in Manila and the central city of Cebu.

• Pinoys pasaway? 'Large majorities' obey gov't advice to dodge coronavirus - SWS

Researchers from the University of the Philippines project the total number of infections to top 200,000 by the end of August.

Despite the grim trajectory, Duterte has been reluctant to reimpose a lockdown after the previous stay-at-home order took a heavy toll on the economy and threw millions out of work.

Data to be released on Thursday is expected to show the economy tumbled into recession in the first half.

- With reports from Ron Lopez, Agence France-Presse; Lyza Aquino, Henry Atuelan, Adrian Ayalin, Jervis Manahan, Jekki Pascual, ABS-CBN News