Philippines reports 142 confirmed coronavirus cases

As of Monday, March 16, the Philippines had 142 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 120 patients hospitalized, two recovered, and 12 deceased.

The Department of Health (DOH) reported an additional two cases by Monday evening, bringing the total to 142 from the previous day's count of 140.

On Saturday, March 14, the DOH confirmed 13 new cases, raising the national tally to 111; this number increased to 140 by Monday morning.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III assured that the government is enhancing testing capacity at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the University of the Philippines as a second key testing center.