Philippines

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines recorded 50 coronavirus deaths on Sunday, its highest in a single day, taking the toll to 297.

In a bulletin, the health ministry said 220 new infections took the tally of virus cases to 4,648. But 40 more patients recovered, for a total of 197 recoveries.

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned violators of coronavirus lockdown measures they could be shot for causing trouble and said abuse of medical workers was a serious crime that would not be tolerated.

In a televised address, Duterte said it was vital everyone cooperates and follows home quarantine measures, as authorities try to slow the contagion and spare the country’s fragile health system from being overwhelmed.

MANILA, Mar 30 (NNN-XINHUA) – A small plane bound for Japan, crashed on take-off, Sunday night, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, killing all eight people on board, the airport authority said.

“This is to confirm an accident that happened on or about 8:00 p.m. today (yesterday), Mar 29, involving a West Wind 24 aircraft, bound for Haneda, with eight passengers on board,” Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said, in a statement.

The statement said, the accident happened at the end of runway 24, while the aircraft was taking off.

MANILA, Mar 29 (NNN-PNA) – The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has exceeded 1,000, with 272 new cases reported on Saturday, the biggest rise in a single day.

The Department of Health said, the country’s total is now at 1,075, with 68 recorded deaths, and 35 recovered patients, as of 4:00 p.m. local time, yesterday, Mar 28.

MANILA, March 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nine doctors have died in the Philippines from the coronavirus, the country’s top medical association said, as hospitals were overwhelmed and medics complained about a lack of protection on the frontlines.

The announcement of the doctors’ deaths heightened fears that the scale of the health crisis in the Philippines is much worse than is being officially reported, with the confirmed virus death toll at just 38.

MANILA, Mar 25 (NNN-PNA) – Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte, signed a law that authorises him to exercise “stand-by powers,” necessary to carry out urgent measures, to deal with COVID-19, Senator Christopher Go said, early on Wednesday.

The act, entitled the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, was passed by the Congress, following a marathon special session, on Monday.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Communist guerrillas in the Philippines said Wednesday they would observe a cease-fire in compliance with the U.N. chief’s call for a global halt in armed clashes during the coronavirus pandemic.

New People’s Army guerrillas have been ordered to stop assaults and shift to a defensive position from Thursday to April 15, the Communist Party of the Philippines said in a statement.

Islamabad, Mar 20 (PTI) The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have committed to providing USD 588 million to Pakistan for its emergency response to fight the coronavirus and to address the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic, a media report said on Friday.

According to an official statement, the World Bank would provide USD 238 million and the Asian Develo pment Bank (ADB) USD 350 million to Pakistan in support for the COVID-19 emergency response and to tackle the socio-economic disruption associated with it.

MANILA, Mar 18 (NNN-PNA) – The World Bank earmarked a 100-million-U.S. dollar fast-track loan, to help the Philippines fight COVID-19, the Philippine Department of Finance said.

The fiance department said today, the funds will enable the Department of Health (DoH) to procure personal protective equipment for health care workers, along with testing and laboratory materials, quarantine areas, isolation rooms and other essential equipment, to contain the spread of the viral disease.

MANILA, Mar 11 (NNN-PNA) – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology today raised the alert level over Mount Kanlaon volcano in the central Philippines, saying the volcano has “entered a period of unrest.”

The institute said, it declared alter level 1, saying that, the volcano on Negros Oriental province, in the country’s Visayas region, “is at an abnormal condition and has entered a period of unrest.”