THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, July 15, registered 43 additional cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) among Filipinos abroad, bringing the official count to 8,915.
Thirty-four new recoveries were also recorded by the agency, which raises the total number of recovered patients to 5,311.
“With 43 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 34 new recoveries recorded in Asia and the Pacific and Europe today, the DFA reports that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad and the total numbers of those who have recovered have breached the 8,900 and 5,300 marks, respectively,” it said.
The death toll, meanwhile, remains at 618, as the DFA confirmed no new fatalities among overseas Filipinos due to the virus.
Overall by region, Europe – which comprises 16 countries – has recorded 1,063 Filipino cases, including 498 undergoing treatment, 470 recoveries and 95 deaths.
The Middle East and Africa, covering 24 countries, has reported 6,431 cases: 2,240 are undergoing treatment, while there are 349 deaths and 3,842 recoveries.
The Asia Pacific region, which spans across 17 countries, has 772 cases – 128 under treatment, 589 recoveries, and five deaths.
The Americas – covering seven countries, including the United States – have 699 reported cases: 120 undergoing treatment, 410 recoveries, and 169 deaths.
“As we celebrate World Youth Skills Day today, the DFA commits to not only monitoring the status of our people abroad but also in continuing its efforts to promote their welfare and development, including the youth, during and beyond this current crisis we are in,” the DFA said on Wednesday.
The agency also welcomed home 373 Filipinos stranded in Singapore through special flight PR 8508 coordinated by the Philippine Embassy in Singapore and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Of the number, 91 completed their employment contracts, 87 were not renewed or terminated from their contracts, 61 were stranded tourists, 34 were pregnant passengers, 15 were senior citizens, 15 were passengers with illness, and 13 were students or minors.
“This was the seventh repatriation flight directly organized by the Philippine Embassy in coordination with DFA. Previous repatriation flights were on 20 and 27 April, 20 and 31 May, 26 June, and 03 July 2020,” said the DFA.
“So far, 1,432 of our kababayans in Singapore have benefited from these repatriation flights,” it added.
