Health

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 …

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 …

The number of cases from the new coronavirus reaches 100,000 worldwide as the United States battled to contain an outbreak on board a stranded cruise ship where 21 people have tested positive. The World Health Organization called the spread of the virus “deeply concerning” as a wave of countries reported their first cases of the disease — which has now …

More than 100 restaurants in Hong Kong have refused to serve diners from mainland China during the coronavirus outbreak, according to a human rights group that is warning firms against crossing the line into racial discrimination. The Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) found the businesses were posting messages online or displaying notices at their premises barring Mandarin speakers and non-locals, …

After discovering two more cases of coronavirus disease in the country in 2019 (COVID-19), the public will refrain from panic-buying face masks, Health Secretary Francsico Duque III said Friday. His recall came after he revealed that one of the two recent confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country was an elderly man with no travel history abroad. On the other …