Philippines

A Chinese government campaign to cast doubt on the origin of the coronavirus pandemic is fuelling a row with the United States, with a Beijing official promoting conspiracy theories and Washington calling it the “Wuhan virus”. The spat comes as China tries to deflect blame for the contagion and reframe itself as a country that took decisive steps to buy …

The Public Health Ministry on Thursday insisted that the country has yet to enter Stage 3 of the coronavirus outbreak, despite the discovery of a new cluster of infections which brought the total number of cases in Thailand to 70. The permanent secretary for public health, Sukhum Kanchanaphimai, made the remark after 11 people tested positive following a night out …

The test kit for UP-developed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is ready for field trials, just as the epidemic was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on Wednesday. Advertisement Thousands of the kits will be sent for validation testing to many hospitals to decide if they are viable enough to be commercially available. In comparison to over – the-counter …

As a precautionary measure against the 2019 coronavirus disease or COVID-19, Health Secretary Francisco Duque has called for a ban on attending masses in churches and going to cinemas. In an interview on Friday over Radyo Inquirer, Duque said attending Mass in Church, which is normally packed with the faithful, is like a COVID-19 “petri dish.” In a separate interview …

According to the Philippine Trade Union Congress (TUCP), employees are resentful about the lack of guidance on business lockdowns and compensated quarantine periods in the spread of coronavirus disease COVID-19. Wide-spread confusion is emerging among the regular paying workers across industries over the lack of company guidance and inadequate policies in the event that government introduces mandatory workplace lockdowns and …

President Rodrigo Duterte placed a 30-day lockdown on Metro Manila on Thursday, barring travel to and from the national capital until April 14, extending the suspension of classes in the metropolis until April 12, and banning’ expected or accidental’ mass gatherings after 52 cases and five deaths from the pneumonia-like disease COVID-19 were confirmed by the Department of Health. The …

Health maintenance organization MediCard Philippines, Inc. said Friday that its programs protect members who will be affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Advertisement “It is to remind our members that MediCard is ready and will protect its members seeking COVID-19 consultation and treatment in any of our approved clinics and hospitals; It said it would later issue guidance on reporting …

A patient of Manila Doctors Hospital, who was diagnosed with COVID-19, has died, the Department of Health (DOH) said. The confirmed death is the patient confined to ID PH35 at Manila Doctors Hospital in Manila City. The Philippine health department referred to the 35th patient who was a 67-year-old Filipino with no history of travel. The said Filipino has been …

President Rodrigo Duterte will be screened for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after several members of the Cabinet have confirmed they will be undergoing self-quarantine due to contact with infected citizens. This was reported by Duterte’s former aide and now by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go. Go explained in a statement that they must undergo COVID-19 training to make sure they’re “fit and …

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) has suspended work from Thursday till Saturday to give way to its Executive Building for “cleaning and disinfecting” as cases of COVID-19 have increased in the region. In an advisory, PNR stated that it would stop their work from March 12 through March 14, In adherence to the protocols developed by the DOH. Yet PNR …