“Zero” case of COVID-19 in Philippines in last 4 weeks, Palace says

March 3, 2020

For the past four weeks, the Philippines has no new positive case of coronavirus disease, Malacanang said on Tuesday.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III gave President Rodrigo Duterte and other Cabinet officials update on COVID-19 situation in the country.

"Update relative were presented by Health Secretary Francisco Duque who initially reported that the Philippines does not have new positive case of COVID-19 in the last four weeks," he said.

"This means that, as at present, the Philippines has 'zero' cases of person suffering from the virus," Panelo added.

He said that Duque reported that the World Health Organization has acknowledged the Philippine efforts in implementing necessary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

But Panelo said the health secretary cautioned that the Philippines needs to be ready anytime for whatever possibility the virus may cause to the country and to the Filipinos. 

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases on Tuesday lifted the travel ban to South Korea, except the whole of North Gyeongsang Province, including Daegu City and Cheongdo County, where the virus outbreak is concentrated. Celerina Monte/DMS