THE U.S. Embassy in the Philippines announced on Tuesday, March 17 that the U.S. government has committed more than P139 million ($2.7 million) to support the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) in its response to COVID-19 in the country. The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will collaborate with Philippine government…
CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Monday night, March 16 halting evictions and foreclosures as the coronavirus pandemic threatens the livelihoods of the state’s renters and homeowners. The executive order comes as Californians are experiencing substantial loss of hours or wages, or layoffs related to COVID-19, affecting their ability to keep up with…
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced on Monday, March 16 a regional approach to combatting the novel coronavirus – or COVID-19 – throughout the tri-state area. Among the uniform standards include limiting crowd capacity for social and recreational gatherings to 50 people; restaurants and bars…
International airports in Luzon have a 72-hour window to accommodate foreigners seeking to leave the Philippines, the country’s Department of Transportation said on Tuesday, March 17. After that, all gateways from the mainland will be closed in compliance with the “enhanced community quarantine” enforced on the island. “Outbound passengers intending to depart the Philippines from…
ROSEMEAD, Calif. — Southern California Edison announced that it is suspending service disconnections for nonpayment and waiving late fees, effective immediately, for residential and business customers impacted by the COVID-19 emergency. “We know this is a difficult time for our communities, and we want SCE’s customers and employees to know we are here for them,”…
EVENT cancellations, work from home, no dining in restaurants, doors shuttering — these are a few ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic that businesses across the country are facing. Here in Southern California, new guidelines have caused Filipino American business owners to change the way they operate or even, close temporarily. Following California Governor Gavin Newsom’s…
Experts monitoring the coronavirus outbreak warn that if we, as a nation and as a people, do not implement and follow drastic measures and preparations for the inevitable surge in the number of those infected by the disease, then we may very well be on track to experience the chaos and tragedy that Italians are…
THE number of coronavirus cases in New York State continues to double almost daily that it is now reaching a critical point, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo who said the outbreak spread is “accelerating like a bullet train.” The state has registered the highest and the greatest rate of infection and death toll is now…
A total of 444 Filipinos aboard the virus-stricken MV Grand Princess have arrived in the Philippines, the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday, March 16. The 438 crew members and six passengers underwent health screenings by the United States Department of Health and Human Services before boarding a chartered flight that brought them…
Luzon has been placed on an enhanced community quarantine to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Monday, March 16. “I have come to the conclusion that stricter measures are necessary. For this reason, pursuant to my powers as President under the constitution and RA…
LOS ANGELES Mayor Eric Garcetti on Sunday night, March 15 issued an emergency order in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), placing temporary restrictions on restaurants, bars, and other establishments in the city. The order, which took effect at midnight, includes the temporary closure of bars and nightclubs that do not serve food, movie theaters…
International flights to and from Manila not covered Metro Manila has been placed on a community quarantine for the next 30 days in response to the growing number of cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Thursday, March 12. The president’s orders — which will begin on Sunday,…
Weeks after the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) went international and began spreading exponentially, U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, March 13 officially declared a national emergency, which will funnel more federal aid to states and municipalities to treat patients and combat the spread of disease. In a press conference on the White House Rose Garden, the…
The temporary travel ban from the United States to European countries for 30 days took effect on midnight, Friday, March 13, in an effort “to keep new cases” of the novel coronavirus “from entering our shores,” President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, March 11. From the Oval Office, Trump addressed the American public in an…
Terminals, parking structures and areas within central terminal area closed to public between midnight and 5 a.m. DUE to heavy overnight construction, limited early morning flight activity, terminal cleaning and sanitizing protocols and a priority to keep all guests and employees at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) safe and healthy, LAX’s Central Terminal Area (CTA)…
THE Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second-largest school district in the United States, will close for the next two weeks in light of the growing coronavirus (CoVID-19) pandemic. Starting Monday, March 16, all public schools in the district will be closed for the coming two weeks, “while we evaluate the appropriate path forward,”…
6 Filipinos on MV Grand Princess test positive Princess Cruises announced on Thursday, March 12 that it will suspend all operations of its 18 cruise ships for 60 days after two of its ships carried passengers, including six Filipinos, who were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The move is a “proactive response to the…
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a slate of new measures on Thursday, March 12 ranging from shutting down Broadway shows and events of 500 people or more to imposing restrictions on restaurants, bars and other venues in an effort to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. “We’re on a upward trajectory of this disease,” Cuomo…
Starting midnight Friday, March 13, travel to the United States from European countries will be temporarily banned for 30 days in an effort “to keep new cases” of the novel coronavirus “from entering our shores,” President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, March 11. From the Oval Office, Trump addressed the American public in an error-laden…
Kira Danganan-Azucena, charge d’affaires and deputy permanent representative of the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations, confirmed in a message to UN colleagues that a “colleague at the Philippine Mission tested positive today (March 12, Thursday) for COVID-19.” Rumors began swirling around the local community on Thursday afternoon through various chat groups…
MANILA — A COVID-19 patient confined at the Manila Doctors Hospital in Manila has died, the Department of Health confirmed late Wednesday night, March 11. “The Department of Health confirms circulating reports regarding the death of a confirmed COVID-19 patient,” the DOH said, adding that the patient was ID PH35. PH35 was a 67-year-old Filipina…
SIX Filipinos aboard the MV Grand Princess — now docked in Oakland, California — have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Philippine Department of Health confirmed this week. The confirmation, based on a report from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was delivered by Joel Buenaventura on Tuesday, March…
The number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines has risen to 49, days after President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of public health emergency in the country. The country’s Department of Health (DOH) confirmed 16 new cases as of Wednesday, March 11. Ten of the new patients have no history of travel or…
Malacañang on Wednesday, March11, urged the public to refrain from panic-buying and the sharing of unverified information amid threats of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said “buy only what they need” after reports about hoarding necessities in groceries came out. “This would only result in undue hoarding and price…
A CLEAN and well-ventilated home is the safest sanctuary from the current COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spreading around the world, now involving 121 countries (and 2 international conveyances, the Diamond Princess and the Grand Princess Cruise ships), killing almost 4,400 worldwide and now affecting 39 States in the U.S. Current statistics are stated below. Proper perspective…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte this week declared a state of public health emergency in the country as the number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continues to rise. As of Tuesday, March 10, 33 cases have been confirmed as the country’s Department of Health (DOH) announced nine additional cases following Duterte’s proclamation the night before. The…
OVER 500 Filipinos are onboard the MV Grand Princess, a cruise ship being held off the California coast due to possible coronavirus cases, the Philippine Department of Health confirmed on Thursday, March 5. The California Air National Guard dropped off kits by helicopter to test the ship’s passengers and crew for coronavirus, known as COVID-19. …
The state of California and Los Angeles County this week declared a public health emergency over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), with over 50 cases statewide and 13 cases confirmed in LA County alone. Officials from the LA County Board of Supervisors and Department of Public Health on Wednesday, March 4 announced a public health emergency…
Two additional incidences of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been reported in the Philippines, bringing the total number of cases to five, the Department of Health confirmed on Friday, March 6. The fourth reported case is a 48-year-old male Filipino who previously traveled to Japan. He returned on February 25 and experienced chills and…
[Editor’s note: This article was first published on March 7, 2020, but has since been updated to reflect new data.] By Antonio Moya, MD, MPH and Nico Cabrera, MD FILIPINOS globally are struggling to make sense of the flood of information coming from social media and news outlets regarding the novel coronavirus disease (named COVID-19)…
