MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will assist the University of the Philippines Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) in Manila to establish its COVID-19 wards. Undersecretary Emil Sadain has reported that DPWH-National Capital Region has deployed construction workers and electricians to fix the ventilation in the hospital’s COVID-19 facility, according to […]
Liquor maker warns against rhum-bleach mix to fight virus
MANILA, Philippines — A local distillery has cautioned the public against mixing rhum with bleach and other cleaning agents and use it as a disinfectant to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Tanduay Distillers, Inc. has issued this advisory through a Facebook post amid a video circulating on social media claiming that combining liquor with bleach […]
Brunei reports first novel coronavirus-related death
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Brunei said a 64-year-old citizen has become the tiny oil-rich kingdom’s first death from the new coronavirus. The health ministry said in a statement Saturday that the man started showing symptoms four days after he returned March 4 from a trip to Kuala Lumpur and Cambodia. It said he was hospitalized […]
Rumors hampering fight against coronavirus in South Asia
In this Thursday, March 5, 2020, file photo, an Indian doctor displays homeopathy medicine recommended by a group of experts under India’s AYUSH ministry, that claims to prevent COVID-19, at a government hospital in Hyderabad, India. As South Asian nations, including India, brace for the likely spread of the virus, they are facing another battle: […]
Lagman: Ban overseas deployment of Filipino medics, nurses for now
MANILA, Philippines — Amid rising confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, a lawmaker on Saturday called for the temporary ban on the deployment of Filipino medics and nurses overseas. Albay (1st Dist.) Rep. Edcel Lagman, however, said such a ban must be coupled with a “hefty increase” in the salaries and allowances, including hazard pay, […]
South Africa reports first virus death as lockdown starts
Members of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) check the documents of commuters during a police roadblock in the Johannesburg CBD, on March 27, 2020 – South Africa came under a nationwide lockdown on March 27, 2020, joining other African countries imposing strict curfews and shutdowns in an attempt to halt the spread of the […]
US military says virus pandemic has no impact on operations
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 24: Members of the California National Guard 115th Regional Support Group help pack boxes of fruit and other food at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley on March 24, 2020 in San Jose, California. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has deployed the California National Guard to help distribute food […]
DOH pressed to expand, speed up virus testing
Senators and one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic advisers on Friday expressed frustration over the slow and small number of people being tested by the Department of Health (DOH) for the new coronavirus disease around the country which they believe could undermine efforts to stop the COVID-19 outbreak. Business leader Joey Concepcion, the presidential adviser […]
Oops! Lawmaker actually tested negative; AFP chief positive
It turned out that ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap didn’t get the virus at all. The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) apologized to Yap on Friday for an “encoding error” that showed him testing positive for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19.) ADVERTISEMENT Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. […]
96 more virus cases in PH; death toll at 54
The Department of Health (DOH) reported that 96 more patients were confirmed to have contracted the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), bringing the nationwide total to 803, as of 4 p.m. Friday, the second highest in Southeast Asia next to Malaysia. But Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire clarified that the data on new cases could not […]