MANILA - Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Wednesday said another resident of the city tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The city's fourth case is a 27-year-old doctor who contracted the virus while treating a patient with COVID-19 in a hospital outside Quezon City.

Belmonte earlier said three Quezon City residents also tested positive for COVID-19.

• 3 of 24 novel coronavirus cases from Quezon City: mayor

Quezon City is home to some 2.9 million people in 2015, making it Metro Manila's most populous area, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

• QC places 40 people in home quarantine for contact with 3 COVID-19 patients

The Philippines so far have 49 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 2 fatalities.

• Philippines confirms 16 new COVID-19 cases; total now at 49

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday declared a state of public health emergency to arrest the pathogen's spread.

- report from Rafael Bosano, ABS-CBN News