A local tourist goes to 'Manila Bay Sands' in her swimsuit

After the Manila Bay White Sand Beach opened to the public over the weekend, a local tourist was spotted posing in a red swimsuit by the beach.

In a photo taken by Bernard Bayog, Renalyn Macato fearlessly posed by the beach in Manila Bay area on Roxas Boulevard, Manila wearing nothing but her red one-piece, one-shoulder swimsuit.

Despite being dressed for a swim, Renalyn said they didn't hit the waters, and instead just enjoyed the brand new view in Manila Bay.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday expressed alarm over the thick crowds of people over the weekend, who were all excited to see the dolomite white sand, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire flagged the activity which showed people under 21 years old and senior citizens, who are prohibited from going outside due to vulnerabilities to COVID-19, flocking the area without observance of social distancing.

In an event led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Manila Bay "white sand" beach was opened to the public over the weekend to commemorate the "International Coastal Cleanup Day."

The Philippines has recorded 286,743 COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 229,865 recovered while 4,984 died. The number of active cases is at 51,894.

On Monday, authorities temporarily banned picture-taking in the Manila Bay White Beach to prevent crowds.

In a lighter note, the hashtag #ManilaBayChallenge trended on social media after netizens poked fun at the large group who flocked to the Manila Bay Sands.

Netizens and celebrities alike posted photos of themselves with the viral photo of a paparazzi-like crowd at the Manila Bay. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News