MANILA - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Wednesday advised establishments that it has frozen prices of basic goods following President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of a state of public health emergency due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. The price freeze will be in effect for 60 days following the President's issuance of Proclamation No. 922, the DTI said in the statement posted on its Facebook page.

This was an expansion of an earlier DTI advisory issued last January which froze the prices of essential medicines following the outbreak.

The DTI has also postponed the 2020 National Food Fair originally scheduled to run from March 12 to 15 at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. The event will be moved to a later date, the DTI said.

The Department of Health said 16 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, bringing the Philippines' total to 49.