Eastern Eye Editor’s Special Award | Partha Mitter | ACTAs 2025

Medical workers are seen wearing personal protective equipment as they interview residents queueing for free COVID-19 swab testing at a basketball court on August 6, 2020 in Navotas city, Metro Manila, Philippines. President Rodrigo Duterte has reimposed a strict lockdown in capital Manila and surrounding provinces as the country continues to struggle with rising coronavirus infections which has breached 100,000 cases. Duterte's move came after nearly 100 medical organizations representing 80,000 doctors and a million nurses called for tighter controls and warned that the country's health systems has been overwhelmed by the surge of cases and are close to collapsing as health workers fall ill or resign out of fear and exhaustion.