The government has delayed its decision to buy washable face masks from domestic garment factories, with producers left waiting for purchase orders after the government failed to decide which state agencies would shoulder the expense. The government previously asked garment factories to sell masks for five baht a piece, much lower than the production cost of 50-100 baht depending on …

Tourism operators are urging the state to impose a two-week lockdown to keep the coronavirus from spreading to provincial areas and creating a deeper impact on the economy. It’s not too late to put the country into a complete lockdown, closing both land and air connections for two weeks or up to one month, as an urgent measure to tackle …

The Ministry of Public Health insists there will be sufficient hospital beds to accommodate Covid-19 patients, saying 400 will be ready in hospitals in Bangkok by this week. Dr Somsak Akhasilp, director-general of the Department of Medical Services under the ministry, told media on Tuesday that the public had no reason to worry about a shortage of hospital beds to …

Qatar Airways on Monday handed a letter of resignation to about 200 Filipinos who worked for the company.   According to David Desang, Philippine Labor Attaché in Qatar, the dismissal of workers takes effect on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.  Most of those who were fired were employed in the technical department, in positions such as engineers, maintenance personnel, and other …

Four Brooklyn Nets players have tested positive for the latest coronavirus, including Kevin Durant, taking the total to seven established NBA players. The Nets didn’t name the players on Tuesday, but Durant stated to The Athletic that he was one of them, saying: “Everybody be patient, take care of themselves and quarantine. The Nets confirmed one player had symptoms while …

Three mayors from Metro Manila City have told their respective city government personnel, including contract staff, that they will earn their full wages given a skeleton workforce operation during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine compliance. Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano promised in a statement on Wednesday that 3,000 city hall workers will earn full salaries and their 13 month pay. …

Local and international health experts have cautioned that if the virus is not controlled in the Philippines, the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) could infect as many as 75,000 people in the next three months. Speaking at a state-run PTV’s “general” press conference on Wednesday, Health Under-Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the number was calculated by Health Department and World Health …

The Department of Health (DOH) announced that three more individuals who tested positive for the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had died, taking the total number of deaths to 17 as of 12 noon Wednesday. Among the new deaths is a 58-year-old Filipino male from Lanao del Sur who has a history of traveling to Malaysia, health department said on Wednesday. …

Tax managers will challenge the decision of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to adhere to the April 15 deadline for filing annual income tax returns (ITRs), following Luzon’s one-month quarantine to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Romeo H. Duran, president of the Philippines Inc.’s Tax Management Association, said his organization could appeal for the deadline to be reconsidered. In …

KUCHING – Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii has announced on his Facebook page post that he has tested positive for Covid-19 today. Kelvin confirmed Covid-19 based on the results of a test conducted by the Health Department at the Sarawak General Hospital on Monday. In his Facebook post, He was in contact with his colleague Sarikei MP Andrew Wong …