Filipinos in Italy donate blood for Covid-19 response

https://www.facebook.com/PHinItaly/posts/1580511162112669?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBFPeQ68LRLnkGyCMCHwja5-2slorJ0_VX8puNxA7MX41Cvyl93XR5h4zAZvrRhsru7w2NLytNvTyL9WVhCpOU5U79pSU5wuzYa8MV2iFS6t_WWNjsnVPW2vYdutDdKpb7aMuzzJ1byteKEs4NI6m_zSPJRhaMrWVHhZBCz8hv02HO-GrOsWEGjF5u7NKaMg87dnDTf8M1iCijSepciEK6upejlZZWPQzUpkoi4jPSa5VyUrMMQNQrGGm_Ta9KHA1-z2oVJTvHaqck1n1sMIhMp6lD8QlGItsDzXJPTQR7yzZW9N6DhcT-mKNDocMPZt2LR_9TKVxkNUEBoiGYw8wgsQg&__tn__=-R

MANILA – A total of 30 Filipinos in Italy have donated blood to help in the European country’s response against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the Philippine Embassy in Italy said.

“The blood donation is a huge effort to help in the Covid-19 emergency. Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, Italian health authorities have been calling for blood donors as blood banks are experiencing a low supply of blood caused by the health crisis,” La Rete di Tutti OdV president Felice Di Iorio said through Philippine Ambassador to Italy Domingo Nolasco.

The report posted on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) website on Wednesday also cited Di lorio thanking the Filipino community for the blood donation.

The blood drive was organized by the Associazione di Donatori Volontari di Sangue La Rete di Tutti (La Rete di tutti OdV), an Italian non-profit association, in partnership with iPARAMEDICI on Sunday.

As of May 6, Italy has recorded 29,315 deaths. It is among the countries in Europe hardest hit by the deadly disease.

This week, however, Italy eased restrictions on mobility for the first time in two months.

The embassy also lauded the relief efforts of some Filipino and Italian nationals.

Members of the Filipino community group led by Aurtenciano Miranda joined volunteers from the Italian organization Sparta300 to distribute food packages to families affected by the health crisis.

The effort was made in collaboration with the Municipio di Roma 3 and the European Union Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD).

As of Tuesday, the group has completed its eighth batch of distribution throughout various areas in Italy and is preparing for the ninth batch to reach more families, including Filipinos.

So far, the group has provided assistance to 120 families and distributed more than 2,000 kg. of groceries and medicine, the embassy said.

On May 4, Italy started Phase 2 of its fight against Covid-19, slowly easing movement restrictions throughout the country.