SUMMARY OF RELEVANT NEWS

Running Tally of COVID-19Cases

Official Posted Data as of April 21, 2020 at 4:00PM

Source: Official Department of Health COVID-19 Tracker Website [https://www.doh.gov.ph/covid19tracker]

 Current Events and News
NORTH KOREA’S KIM ‘ALIVE AND
WELL’: SEOUL
Source: Manila Bulletin
[https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/04/27/north-koreas-
kim-alive-and-well-seoul/]
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is “alive and
well”, a top security adviser to the South’s
President Moon Jae-in said, downplaying rumours
over Kim’s health following his absence from a key
anniversary.
The adviser said that Kim had been staying in
Wonsan — a resort town in the country’s east —
since April 13, adding: “No suspicious movements
have so far been detected.”
DOST STARTS MASS PRODUCING
TELEPHONE BOOTH STYLE SWABBING
KIOSK FOR CORONAVIRUS
Source: Rappler
https://www.rappler.com/nation/259155-dost-
mass-producing-telephone-booth-style-
coronavirus-swabbing-kiosk
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag
The Department of Science and Technology
(DOST) on Monday, April 27, unveiled the sample
collection booths (SCBs) it was mass producing to
aid mass testing initiatives in the country.
According to the DOST, the testing will be done
by seating each patient outside the booth while the
health worker takes the swab of the patient using
arm-length nitrile gloves built into the front window
of the booth.
[BAGUIO TO LOSE P480 MILLION
PROJECTED INCOME THIS YEAR]
Source: Manila Bulletin
https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/04/26/baguio-to-lose-
p480-million-projected-income-this-year/
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag
Mayor Benjamin Magalong admitted that it might
not be able to collect more or less P480 million
from its projected income this year following a
slump in the city’s economy due to the enhanced
community quarantine (ECQ) brought about by the
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
SAUDI ARABIA ELIMINATES DEATH
PENALTY FOR MINORS
Source: Rappler
https://www.rappler.com/world/regions/middle-
east/259135
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag
Saudi Arabia on Sunday, April 26, ended the death
penalty for crimes committed by minors after
effectively abolishing floggings as the kingdom
seeks to blunt criticism over its human rights
record.
The death penalty has been eliminated for those
convicted of crimes committed while they were
minors, Human Rights Commission president
Awwad Alawwad said in a statement, citing a royal
decree.

NEW YORK HOSPITALS ARE STUDYING
A COMMON HEARTBURN DRUG AS
TREATMENT FOR COVID-19
Source: CNN Philippines
https://cnnphilippines.com/world/2020/4/27/famo
tidine-heartburn-drug-COVID-19.html?
fbclid=IwAR2wW6im9uKa4G8j5GR_1Yl3M_Mp_dZy
AXOMAm_jIka0bYmQbs3Z3rAx2Lc
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag
Hospitals in New York are giving Covid-19 patients
heartburn medicine to see if it helps fight the virus,
according to the doctor who initiated the trial.
Preliminary results of the clinical trial of famotidine,
the active ingredient in Pepcid, could come out in
the next few weeks, said Dr. Kevin Tracey,
president of Feinstein Institutes for Medical
Research at Northwell Health, which runs 23
hospitals in the New York City area.
So far, 187 patients have enrolled in the clinical
trial, and Northwell eventually hopes to enroll
1,200, he said.
52 MORE FILIPINO CASES ABROAD
CONTRACT COVID-19, OVERSEAS
CASES RISE TO 1,395
Source: CNN Philippines
https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/27/52-
more-filipinos-abroad-contract-COVID-19.html?
fbclid=IwAR1lz_ky3MKwzn8ILSoXpRMQMNhp6nfq
Fd0WQM5vK9YI5WroWtX27oEDrWk
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag
Fifty-two more Filipinos abroad have contracted
COVID-19, bringing the total to 1,395, the Foreign
Affairs Department reported Monday.
The new cases were recorded in Europe and the
Middle East, the DFA said.
Meanwhile, one more overseas Filipino has died
due to the viral disease, raising death toll to 186.
Also, 49 Filipinos abroad have recovered from the
infectious disease, bringing the total to 380.
DFA added that 829 overseas Filipinos are
undergoing treatment.
Globally, COVID-19 has infected more than 2.9
million people and killed at least 206,544
worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.
A total of 865,733 patients have already recovered.
SENATE SEEK AMENDMENTS TO
RULES TO ALLOW VIRTUAL HEARING
SESSIONS
Source: CNN Philippines
https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/27/Senat
e-virtual-session-COVID-19-coronavirus.html?
fbclid=IwAR2EQm5p1-n5xyXNtB-
TToVGZPZBS3TkWjtOtw0jjg9xa2QxGJcHJcqWH6Q
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag
At least 15 senators are seeking amendments to
Senate rules that would allow them to hold virtual
hearings and sessions amid the COVID-19 crisis.
They also want to amend the rules to allow the
Senate President to either postpone the holding of
sessions or hold sessions by remote means during
such emergencies.
NO NEED TO RESORT TO VIOLENCE IN
IMPLEMENTATION OF COVID-19
QUARANTINE MEASURES
Source: CNN Philippines
https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/27/Leni-
Robredo-COVID-quarantine-strict-implementation-
no-violence.html?
fbclid=IwAR2JphQA6JRbWSR0kQ3QlsH5q7VmgJmt
yhZgDPeKZQ0Ld4vc1FOaGiUlfBE
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag
While Vice President Leni Robredo sees a need for
strict implementation of COVID-19 quarantine
measures to help curb the spread of the disease,
she stressed that enforcers do not have to resort to
violence when apprehending violators.
"Pero kailangan klaro sa understanding ng lahat,
bakit ba natin ito ginagawa? Ginagawa natin ito to
save lives. Hindi siya kailangang humantong
sa violence," Robredo said in an interview with The
Source.
[Translation: It needs to clear for their
understanding, why are we doing this? We're doing
this to save lives. But it doesn't need to result into
violence.]
"Tingin natin, kailangan talaga istrikto
'yung enforcement. Pero sana hindi siya
humahantong sa karahasan," the Vice President
added.
[Translation: We think that the enforcement should
really be strict. But it doesn't need to lead to
violence.]
THE VIRUS HUNTERS WHO SEARCH
BAT CAVES TO PREDICT THE NEXT
PANDEMIC
Source: CNN Philippines
https://cnnphilippines.com/world/2020/4/27/virus
-hunters-search-bat-caves-next-pandemic.html?
fbclid=IwAR0ceP6LRFwOHOHR-A4FO5-
Aes85phVB95ggupiZkP-AQiqBwjcnuk0PCOY
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag
Before entering the cave, the small team of
scientists pull on hazmat suits, face masks and
thick gloves to cover every inch of their skin.
Contact with bat droppings or urine could expose
them to some of the world's deadliest unknown
viruses.
The scientists collect the nets and carefully put the
bats to sleep with a mild anesthetic, before
delicately extracting blood from a vein on their
wings. "We also carry out oral and faecal swabs
and gather droppings," says Peter Daszak, who
presides over EcoHealth Alliance, an American
NGO which specializes in detecting new viruses
and pandemic prevention.
The findings of Daszak, and others like him, inform
an open-source library of all known animal viruses,
from which scientists can forecast which strains are
most likely to spill over to humans, in order to ready
the world for a new pandemic like COVID-19.
NEW ZEALAND CLAIMS ‘ELIMINATION’
OF CORONAVIRUS WITH NEW CASES
IN SINGLE DIGITS
Source: CNN Philippines
https://cnnphilippines.com/world/2020/4/27/New-
Zealand-eliminated-coronavirus.html?
fbclid=IwAR1LQ2UCdPuiclP9n7F2cxkEucHWG_-
ZtQyooO4Q53XkZV3xRw7-PvgSUAo
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag
New Zealand claimed Monday it had "eliminated"
the coronavirus as the country announced the
easing of restrictions from "level four" to "level
three," with new cases in single figures.
At a news conference, New Zealand reported one
new case, four "probable cases" and one new
death.
Ashley Bloomfield, New Zealand's Director General
of Health, said the low number "does give us
confidence that we've achieved our goal of
elimination, which -- that never meant zero but it
does mean we know where our cases are coming
from."
PH STOCKS START WEEK ON GLOOMY
NOTE
Source: Inquirer.net
https://business.inquirer.net/295874/ph-stocks-
start-week-on-gloomy-note?
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag
The local stock barometer missed the upswing
across regional markets on Monday as investors
gauged the economic cost of an extended
lockdown of Metro Manila.
The main-share Philippine Stock Exchange index
(PSEi) slipped by 14.53 points or 0.27 percent to
close at 5,450.45.
Elsewhere in the region, stock markets began the
week mostly upbeat as investors looked forward to
massive economic stimulus measures to counter
fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
MASS TESTING FOR CORONAVIRUS TO
START IN SUBIC IN MAY
Source: Inquirer.net
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1265466/mass-
testing-for-coronavirus-to-start-in-subic-in-may?
Date: April 27, 2020
Summarized by: Justine Mark N. Dagdag

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)

could start mass testing for coronavirus infections
in May, in collaboration with the Philippine National
Red Cross.

The Red Cross is putting up a lab at the Naval

Magazine zone of the Subic Bay Freeport, and
expects to receive testing equipment on
Wednesday (April 29), as well as accreditation from
the Department of Health, said SBMA chair Wilma
Eisma in a Monday (April 27) statement.

Press Briefings
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