MANILA — Dozens of doctors’ associations have warned Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte that the country is was losing the war against coronavirus as the president once again told people to disinfect their face masks with gasoline — insisting he was "not joking."

In an open letter, tens of thousands of doctors urged Duterte on Saturday to tighten a recently eased lockdown a day after the country recorded the highest single-day count of more than 4,000 new infections, pushing the total number of confirmed infections to over 93,000.

“Health care workers are united in sounding off a distress signal to the nation — our health care system has been overwhelmed," the letter said, according to an AFP report.

"We are waging a losing battle against COVID-19, and we need to draw up a consolidated, definitive plan of action."

The country imposed one of the harshest lockdowns in the world in mid-March. The lockdown kept people at home except to buy food and seek medical treatment.

But the government recently eased the restrictions to allow people to return to work after predictions that the Philippine economy will fall into recession, with millions of jobs already lost.

Meanwhile, Duterte’s gasoline remark drew a lot of flak from all quarters with officials later suggesting it was a joke.

But on Friday, the president doubled down — saying "what I've said was true... go to a gasoline station".

Referring to his earlier comments, Duterte said: "They (critics) said, 'Duterte is insane.' Stupid! If I'm insane, you should be the president, not me.

"What I've said was true. If alcohol isn't available, especially for the poor, just go to a gasoline station, and use (gas) to disinfect.

"I am not joking. I am not joking. You... you try to get inside my brain.