The death toll from China’s coronavirus outbreak rose to 1,483 on Friday but the number of new infections in the hard-hit province of Hubei dropped after a change in case definitions caused a massive rise the day before. The central provincial health commission recorded 116 more deaths and 4,823 new cases, the majority involving patients who were clinically diagnosed. The …

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reduced Taal Volcano’s alert-level status to Alert Level 2, as metrics have consistently shown its decreased unrest in recent weeks. After graduating from Alert Level 3 on 26 January 2020, the state of Taal Volcano in the following three weeks was characterized by less regular volcanic earthquake activity, stabilizing ground deformation of the …

The number of Filipinos found positive for COVID-19 infection while embarking on the cruise ship docked in Yokohama has risen to 11, the Foreign Affairs Department has said. The DFA said the Filipinos who tested positive for COVID-19 were taken to different hospitals in and around the Tokyo area. It added that among the new group of 44 men, there …

On Friday, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said it has accelerated the release of face masks in the face of increased demand for personal protective equipment despite the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) threat. Advertisement The BOC indicated in a statement that since the detection and diagnosis of COVID-19 in January 2020, the Agency has been speeding the process and release …

Global oil demand will experience its first quarterly decline in a decade as the COVID-19 virus lashes China’s economy and ripples its effects worldwide. Advertisement “The global demand for oil has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the widespread shutdown of China’s economy,” reported the International Energy Agency in its latest monthly report. Demand is now expected …

KOTA KINABALU – The Coronavirus or the official name for the illness ‘Covid-19’ Strikes has dried up tourism in Malaysia and suffered an estimated RM3bil in losses. Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Noor Zari Hamat said that with the recent cancellations of flight, Industries such as hoteliers, travel agents and food and beverage businesses were severely impacted. We’re …

Isabela Rep. Antonio “Tonypet” Albano said on Thursday that there was no direct pressure from President Rodrigo Duterte about the pending legislation seeking to expand the ABS-CBN broadcast network franchise. The President has never interfered with, and does not plan to intervene with, Congressional relations, “he said.” He respects the separation of powers and has great respect for us. Albano …

About 44 people on board a cruise ship moored off the coast of Japan have screened the novel coronavirus positively, said Thursday the country’s health minister. Advertisement Minister of Health Katsunobu Kato said the 44 new cases were from 221 new tests. In addition to a quarantine officer who has also tested positive for the virus, they raise the number …

As of Thursday morning the Philippines reported 33 additional suspected cases of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), data from the Department of Health (DOH) reveal. Advertising This brings the total, cumulative number of persons under investigation (PUIs) to 441 in the country—230 of them are currently admitted to different hospitals and 206 others have been discharged that yielded negative results for the …

Malacañang said that it shares US President Donald Trump’s opinion of Manila-Washington’s imminent termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). Trump’s advertisement told a White House news conference on Wednesday that he wouldn’t mind the Philippines ending the VFA because it’s going to save a lot of money. Trump also said the US had helped defeat Islamic State militants in …