COVID-19: 38 dead in Philippines, senators get infected

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Three more people died of the coronavirus in Philippines on Wednesday, while 84 more people, including a senator tested positive for the virus, local media reported.

The Directorate of Health said that death toll due to the virus, known as COVID-19, reached 38 in the country, according to online news website Rappler.

A total of 636 people have so far tested positive for the coronavirus, including two senators, while 26 people have recovered from the disease.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III announced today that he tested positive for the new disease.

“I was informed late last night, March 24, 2020, that I have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The swab was taken last Friday, March 20, 2020,” Pimentel said in a statement.

Previously, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 16.

The government has locked-down capital Metro Manila until April 14 and country’s largest island Luzon, which hosts the population of over 57 million people, until April 12.

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, coronavirus has spread to at least 170 countries and territories.

The number of confirmed cases worldwide has now surpassed 424,000 while the death toll is nearly 19,000 and over 109,100 have recovered, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Italy, China, Iran, and Spain continue to be the most affected countries.

Despite the rising number of cases, most who contract the virus suffer only mild symptoms before making a recovery.