No new deaths among Filipinos with Covid-19 abroad: DFA

Based on the latest DFA data, 2,322 overseas Filipinos were diagnosed with the disease while 774 have recovered. The death toll stands at 269. (Pexels photo)

MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday reported a decrease in new cases and zero deaths among Filipinos with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) abroad.

“Today, the DFA confirms no new fatalities due to Covid-19 among Filipinos abroad as reported by our foreign service posts. Just as significant, there are only 12 new confirmed cases compared to 17 new recoveries recorded across the regions,” DFA said in a statement.

Based on the latest DFA data, 2,322 overseas Filipinos were diagnosed with the disease while 774 have recovered. The death toll stands at 269.

A total of 1,279 are undergoing treatment–132 from the Asia Pacific region, 394 from Europe, 561 in the Middle East/Africa, and 192 in the Americas.

The latest figures showed that Europe and the Middle East remain as regions with the highest confirmed cases among Filipinos with close to 700 cases each.

In a virtual briefing Thursday, Philippine Consul General to Jeddah Edgar Badajos said 106 of the confirmed cases came from the western part of Saudi Arabia, up by 57 since his last report on April 28.

Of this number, 48 have recovered while two have died.

DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola, in the same presser, also reported that 26,793 overseas Filipinos have so far been repatriated since the Covid-19 outbreak, 7,729 are distressed land-based workers while 19,064 are seafarers from 93 cruise ships.

Meanwhile, the Philippine embassy in Kuwait said the death of a Filipino nurse due to Covid-19 is partly due to the “mismanagement” of her superior in Kuwait.

“We’re happy that there are members of the society like the Kuwait Medical Board and the Kuwait Board of Nursing who condemned the mismanagement of the head nurse there,” Charge d’ Affaires to Kuwait Charleson Hermosura said.

The embassy has already called for an investigation into the incident.