A TOTAL of 836 more Filipino workers from Ethiopia and Malaysia have come amid a coronavirus disease pandemic that has sickened 3.1 million and killed more than 217,900 people worldwide.

BACOLOD officials have asked the national government to include the city in the list of areas under continued strict quarantine measures until May 15 due to the continued threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmissions.

LAWMAKERS at the House of Representatives have appealed to the administration to reconsider the rule prohibiting senior citizens, or those 60 years old and above, from going outside their home even under the more relaxed quarantine policy that will take effect May 1 in parts of the country.

THE Department of Health is planning to conduct mass testing for COVID-19 infections in the country’s overcrowded jails to avert a contagion, as the national tally neared 8,000.

A SENATOR urged the government on Tuesday to bar offshore gaming operators in the Philippines from reopening once a Luzon-wide lockdown is relaxed.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday night said he would end peace talks with Maoist rebels after attacks on soldiers delivering medical aid amid a novel coronavirus pandemic.

THE use of rapid testing has helped contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Dagupan by allowing authorities to immediately isolate people who could be carrying the virus, according to City Health Officer Ophelia T. Rivera.

THE national government released on Tuesday the guidelines for the general community quarantine (GCQ), wherein more businesses will be allowed to reopen and public transportation can resume, taking effect May 1 in many areas across the country.

A PHILIPPINE senator on Monday filed a resolution seeking legal and diplomatic approaches to force China to stop its “destructive” reclamation activities in the South China Sea.

THE Department of Health (DoH) reported 198 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections on Monday, bringing the total to 7,777.

RAMON R. Jimenez, Jr., the Tourism chief behind the “‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines” global campaign, has died. He was 64.

ILOILO City’s finance committee will present this week a fund realignment and economic measures program as the local government braces for the delayed collection in local taxes that cover about 60% of its annual budget.