Philippines declares "national alert" in selected regions with rapidly increasing dengue cases

Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque (R) checks patients at a dengue ward of the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, the Philippines, July 16, 2019. The Philippines declared a "national dengue alert" on Monday in several regions of the Philippines due to "the rapidly increasing number of cases." From January 1 to June 29, 2019, the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) said 106,630 dengue cases have been reported nationwide, an 85 percent increase from the 57,564 cases reported over the same period last year, and at least 450 deaths were recorded. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)