DOH official tests positive for COVID-19

An official of the Department of Health (DOH) tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Tuesday.

In a statement, DOH said that the confirmed case is a director.

"DOH assures its employees that their safety and health is a top priority. Offices have been disinfected and close contacts informed so that they can immediately undergo home quarantine and strict monitoring," it said.

Due to increasing COVID-19 cases in the country, President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday placed the Philippines under a state of calamity.

On Tuesday, confirmed COVID-19 patients rose to 187 after health authorities announced 45 new cases in the country.

The death toll due to the virus, meanwhile, has increased to 14. —Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News