The country's high population density might have partly contributed to the latest "exponential" increase in coronavirus cases in the country, according to President Duterte.

Addressing the nation Monday, March 22, the President observed that too many people were crowding in small places like Metro Manila.

The capital region, considered the epicenter of the country's coronavirus outbreak, has recorded half of the 8,019 new COVID-19 cases tallied by health authorities Monday, March 22. The country's total coronavirus cases have soared to 671, 792 with 12,972 deaths, prompting authorities to impose tighter movement controls in Metro Manila and four surrounding provinces.

"Tumaas ang COVID cases at mayroon ang mga expert --- may alam sila kung bakit at papaanong nangyari. Well, tayo naman hindi na kailangan sabihin look at our people because maliit masyado ang Pilipinas (COVID cases have risen and experts know why and how it happened. Well, we don't have to say it, just look at our people because the Philippines is really small)," the President said during his televised address Monday, March 22.

"Metro Manila is really heavily laden with human beings kaya lack of space and because of the nature of our economy, we still have to have the new additional trains, the MRTs (Metro Rail Transit) the LRTs (Light Rail Transit), but we are also working on an underground subway,” he said.

The President raised concern about the latest COVID-19 case spike and asked Health Secretary Francisco Duque III the reason behind the surge during the meeting Monday.

Duque was among the Cabinet members present in the meeting with the President at the Malago clubhouse inside Malacañang Park Monday. The pre-recorded remarks of the President and other officials were aired on state television after the meeting.

"Bakit ho mas malakas ang sipa ngayon kaysa noong una? (Why is the case spike higher now than before?) And why is the increase so exponential, it has become exponential na parang walang --- wala ng hanggan, kaysa noon ‘yong una --- una tayong nakaranas ng sakit (as if there is no more end, unlike before when we first encountered the illness)," Duterte asked the health secretary.

"We had a sort of an interlude na medyo humihina then suddenly tumaas? (that slowed down then suddenly grew higher) Ano kaya ang --- what could be the possible cause or causes of this?" he asked.

Responding to the President, Duque attributed the country's case surge to the detection of new coronavirus variants as well as increased mobility following the partial reopening of the economy.

In his visits to markets and other public places, Duque claimed that some people were not fully complying with health protocols. He said some had face masks as a "token of compliance" but were not wearing them properly.

In a bid to slow down the COVID-19 transmission, the government has banned non-essential travel, large gatherings, and indoor dining in restaurants in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces from March 22 to April 4, 2021.

The National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, also collectively known as NCR+, have been placed under the general community quarantine (GCQ) bubble during the two-week period.