REUTERS
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte wishes US President Donald Trump, who got infected with the coronavirus, a speedy recovery, according to the presidential palace.
Mr. Duterte is a close friend of Mr. Trump, his spokesman Harry L. Roque told an online news briefing on Monday.
“He wishes President Trump and his wife First Lady Melania a full and speedy recovery,” he said.
The two leaders talked on the phone in April to discuss cooperation against the coronavirus pandemic.
The White House initiated the call that lasted 18 minutes, Mr. Roque said at that time.
Mr. Trump, who has downplayed the virus, was seen on Sunday waving at supporters inside a car outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The 74-year-old president was at the highest risk given his age.
White House physician Sean P. Conley on Monday said Mr. Trump’s oxygen levels had dropped, which could potentially turn into a severe COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) case, according to the New York Times.
The coronavirus has sickened about 45 million and killed more than a million people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization.
The US had the most cases at 7.6 million and the most deaths at almost 103,000. — Gillian M. Cortez