10 with MERS symptoms, Purisima leaves, freed AJ staff | The wRap

Today on Rappler:

• 10 more Filipinos are quarantined for showing symptoms of the MERS Coronavirus.
• Resigned police chief Alan Purisima vacates his quarters in Camp Crame.
• Egypt frees Al Jazeera journalists until a retrial.

10 MORE ADMITTED AT RITM FOR MERS-COV CHECK
10 more Filipinos are quarantined for showing symptoms of the MERS Coronavirus.
Ten more people are admitted to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine or RITM after showing symptoms of the deadly MERS Coronavirus or MERS-CoV.
Acting Health Secretary Janette Garin on Friday says the 10 had close contact with the 32-year-old Filipina nurse who tested positive for MERS-CoV.
The nurse’s mother and husband were also admitted.
All tested negative during the first round of tests but the husband and the 10 contacts continue to show symptoms of MERS-CoV.
MERS symptoms include fever, cough, often with diarrhea.

DOWNSTREAM: PURISIMA PACKING UP FOR ‘WHITE HOUSE’ EXIT – PNP
Resigned Philippine police chief Director General Alan Purisima moves out of the “White House,” the official residence of the PNP chief in Camp Crame.
Purisima started packing up two days after President Benigno Aquino accepted his resignation.
Purisima admits he resigned over accountability for the Mamasapano operation that killed 44 Special Action Force troopers.
Purisima’s renovations of the White House are the subject of a plunder complaint against him.

AQUINO SIGNS LAW RAISING TAX EXEMPTION CAP FOR BONUSES
President Benigno Aquino signs into law a bill raising to P82,000 or about $1,800 the cap for workers’ 13th month pay and other tax-exempt benefits.
Lawmakers intended it as a Christmas gift to public and private employees last December, but delays made it a Valentine’s Day gift instead.
Before this, only workers receiving P30,000 or $665 in 13th month pay and other benefits, got their bonuses in full.

EGYPT FREES AL JAZEERA REPORTERS PENDING RETRIAL
An Egyptian court orders the release of two Al Jazeera journalists pending their retrial for allegedly supporting the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
Canadian Mohamed Fahmy paid bail of 250,000 Egyptian pounds or $33,000, while Egyptian Baher Mohamed was released along with other defendants.
Mohamed posts on Twitter “I AM FREE” the moment the release order came.
The case is adjourned until February 23.

HORMONE DRUGS BOOST OVARIAN CANCER RISK BY 40% – STUDY
A new study shows hormone replacement therapy or HRT boosts ovarian cancer risk by 40 percent.
The claims come from 52 published studies covering nearly 21,500 women with ovarian cancer, in North America, Europe and Australia.
Researchers say there is an extra ovarian cancer case for every 1,000 women taking the drugs for 5 years from age 50.
Ovarian cancer is dubbed a “silent killer,” as women are often not diagnosed until it is too late.

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Production Staff