PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has assured the public that the government 'will never hide anything' about the true state of the 2019-novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) in the country, as he allayed fears over the outbreak that has killed over 300 people and infected thousands of others.

In a press conference after an 'emergency meeting' on the coronavirus threat in Malacañang on Monday night, Duterte insisted that there was no reason for the government to hide such health-related information from the public, as it has the situation under control.