MANILA - The provincial government of Davao Del Sur declared Thursday a state of calamity that would allow it to tap emergency funds to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Local officials are set to deliberate Friday on a proposed budget of P20 million to buy protective gear for health workers and aid residents who lost income due to the lockdown of the whole Davao Region until April 1, according to provincial disaster officer Christopher Tan.

Part of the budget, he said, would also go to the rehabilitation of the provincial hospital in Digos City.

The government is monitoring 32 people who showed symptoms of COVID-19 and some 2,300 others who have no symptoms but had traveled abroad or were exposed to a carrier of the virus.

The nationwide tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 707 on Thursday, including 45 deaths and 28 patients who recovered. The count could spike with the recent arrival of additional test kits, the health department earlier said.

The entire Luzon, home to around half of the Philippines' 100 million people, is also under lockdown until April 12 to contain the pandemic.

Report from Chrislen Bulosan, ABS-CBN News