Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

MANILA (UPDATE) — The Philippines is verifying reports that a second foreign national has died in the country due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the health department said Tuesday.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque said he received unverified information that an American patient with pre-existing medical conditions had succumbed to the respiratory disease before dawn.

"I still have to validate that," he said of the report.

The Philippines so far confirmed 24 cases of the disease, including one fatality: a Chinese national from Wuhan City in Central China, where the virus was first reported late last year.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday declared a state of public health emergency to arrest the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The respiratory disease has killed nearly 4,000, with more than 110,000 cases recorded in over 100 territories, according to a tally by Agence France-Presse.

TESTING KIT 'SHORTAGE'

There is a "global shortage" of kits for testing potential COVID-19 cases, Duque said, quoting the World Health Organization.

The Philippines currently has 4,500 testing kits and expects to receive 2,000 more from the WHO, he said.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation earlier committed to give P2 billion for purchasing additional test kits, said the Health Secretary.

"Meron namang pondo. Ang naging problema d'yan, iyong global supply. Iyon ang number one challenge," he said

(There are funds. The problem there is the global supply. That's the number one challenge.)

The WHO has "pre-qualified" testing kits developed by the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health, which appear to yield "accurate" results in 2 hours, said Duque.

The local kits are not yet available in the market, he said.

RELATED STORIES:

• Threat of coronavirus pandemic now 'very real': WHO
• How to dodge novel coronavirus? Avoid touching 'MEN'
• Duterte suspends Metro Manila classes from March 10-14 due to COVID-19 threat