MANILA, Philippines — The province of Cavite has been placed under state of calamity amid the growing number of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country.
Cavite Vice Governor announced this on his official Facebook page on Monday, adding that the provincial council passed Resolution No. 1437-2020, declaring the province under a state of calamity.
“The Province of Cavite is now under State of Calamity due to COVID-19 outbreak. Please stay at home and follow government guidelines for your safety,” he wrote.
On Sunday, Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla announced the province’s second case of COVID-19, a medical practitioner who got infected through community transmission.
READ: Cavite confirms 2nd COVID-19 case
The virus has so far infected 140 individuals and killed 12 people in the Philippines.
READ: COVID-19 patient dies in Makati, bringing virus deaths in PH to 12 – DOH
The Philippines is currently under a state of public health emergency due to the virus, which originated from Hubei province, China.
President Rodrigo Duterte has placed Metro Manila under community quarantine amid the spike in COVID-19 cases in the capital region.
The World Health Organization declared the disease as a global pandemic after it killed nearly 5,000 people and infected 110,000 others worldwide.
The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses named the novel coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2.
The virus causes mild symptoms such as fever and cough for most people but can cause serious illness such as pneumonia for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.
Coronavirus is a family of viruses, which surfaces have a crown-like appearance. The viruses are named for the spikes on their surfaces.