Over 10K overseas Filipinos now infected with COVID-19

The total number of novel coronavirus cases among Filipinos around the world has surpassed the 10,000 mark as the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recorded 19 new infections on Monday, August 24.

As of this writing, there are now 10,003 overseas Filipinos infected with COVID-19.

The agency also logged 61 new recoveries, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 6,014.

Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 742 with the nine new fatalities reported by the DFA.

Filipinos currently undergoing treatment are tallied at 3,247.

“On this last week of August, the DFA reports that the total number of COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad passed the 10,000 mark, with 19 new confirmed cases in the Middle East,” the agency said.

“On the other hand, with a spike of 61 new recoveries recorded in Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, the total number of recoveries also went over the 6,000 mark. Meanwhile, 9 new fatalities were reported in the Middle East,” it added.

Overall by region, Europe — which comprises 18 countries — has recorded 1,158 Filipino cases, including 407 undergoing treatment, 656 recoveries and 95 deaths.

The Middle East and Africa, covering 27 countries, has reported 6,946 cases; of which, 2,329 are undergoing treatment, 461 deaths and 4,156 recoveries.

The Asia Pacific region, which spans across 20 countries, has 1,107 cases, with 351 undergoing treatment, 748 recoveries, and eight deaths.

The Americas — covering eight countries like the United States — have 792 reported cases, with 160 undergoing treatment, 454 recoveries, and 178 deaths.

“As the DFA personnel in our FSPs continue to actively monitor the status of the Filipino community abroad and work to safely repatriate more of our stranded nationals, we look forward and hope to receive more reports of recoveries in the coming days, similar to today’s report,” the DFA said.

The agency announced over the weekend that it has repatriated 144,795 overseas Filipinos since the outbreak started.

Of the total, 55,159 are sea-based while 89,636 are land-based.

“With the bicameral conference committee’s approval of the P820 million augmentation of the DFA’s Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Fund under the proposed Bayanihan 2 bill last Thursday, the DFA reassures our overseas Filipinos of its sustained repatriation efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the agency said.