The number of cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Philippines grew to 24 on Monday night. President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of emergency, with the Department of Health recommending quarantine to the public in order to prevent congesting facilities. Who’s expected to endure a controlled home quarantine? —People who have a history of travel to other areas …

The Department of Health requested a supplementary budget of P3 billion from the House of Representatives to combat the spread of coronavirus disease by 2019 or COVID-19 in the country. At the hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said that P2.35 billion of the budget would be used to buy personal protective equipment — headgear, …

Notwithstanding comments by President Rodrigo Duterte and the Ministry of Health opposing it, Albay Representative Joey Salceda insisted on Tuesday that a lockdown should be enforced in the light of that COVID-19 cases in the nation. Salceda said that the government should not formulate public policies that rely on the current intensity of viral transmission. Salceda said he doubts that …

Public updates on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) should be made on a regular basis via text-based warnings, as the number of infected people in the Philippines soared to 24 on Monday, according to Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday. The initial step to contain a virus is to provide information on it via all available means. Improving the spread of information …

As an impact of the outbreak of coronavirus, State-owned Indonesia Port Corporation II (IPC) has decided to do precaution as part of the efforts for this. The company is prohibiting crew members of all foreign vessels docking at Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok Port from getting off their ships. IPC president director Arif Suhartono said the increased precautionary measures also stipulated that …

Saudi Arabia confirmed four additional coronavirus cases, including a U.S. visit to Italy and the Philippines, which brought the count to 15 on Monday. Advertisement On Sunday, the Kingdom placed a temporary lockout on its eastern oil-producing province of Qatif, home to most of its 15 coronavirus infections, and suspended national schools and universities. It has also halted travel with …

Senators expressed their concern about the limited number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test kits available in the country. The stock on hand is sufficient for 2,000 tests, Dr. Rosanna Ditangco of the Tropical Medicine Research Institute (RITM) testified during a Senate investigation. Ditangco added that the institute had sought an additional P43 million in funding for’ various needs,’ including …

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III warned hospitals on Monday against the rejection of patients linked to the novel coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19). Duque stated at the press briefing that announcement in “All Levels 2 and 3 hospitals are told not to deny patients suspected or diagnosed with COVID-19. The failure to provide care to those patients shall be treated as …

Mayor Vico Sotto announced on Monday that there are two residents of Pasig City suffering from coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19). Sotto said that one of them is confined to Medical City Pasig while the other is confined to a private hospital outside the city. Sotto said that the city is adopting the precautionary measures set out by the DOH …

Philippine equities plummeted by 5.65 per cent on Monday morning’s trading session, led by growing concerns over the outbreak of coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19). As of noon break, the PSEi bellwether fell by 382.52 points or 5.65 per cent to 6.387.86. The wider All Shares index dropped by 207.22 points or 5.13 percent to 3 832.33. In a mobile …