78 Filipinos test positive for coronavirus in SoKor

In a Laging Handa briefing, Charge d’Affaires Christian L. de Jesus said 34 of the 78 have already recovered and discharged from hospitals. (File photo: United Nations COVID-19 Response/Unsplash)

MANILA – The Philippine Embassy in Seoul reported Wednesday that 78 Filipinos were diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in South Korea.

In a Laging Handa briefing, Charge d’Affaires Christian L. de Jesus said 34 of the 78 have already recovered and discharged from hospitals.

“A total of forty-four are currently under treatment, most of them are mild cases,” he said.

De Jesus noted that majority of the new Covid-19 cases in Korea are “imported”, most of whom are returning from abroad via plane and international vessels.

Despite this, he said the South Korean government had been effective in its Covid-19 response as reflected by its high rate of recoveries also citing Seoul’s use of technology in contact tracing efforts.

“As soon as a person tested positive, they are immediately brought to Korean facilities, whether locals or foreigners, and they are given medical attention and care,” he said.

Through a mobile application, de Jesus shared that local health authorities could monitor persons who were diagnosed with Covid-19 and further arrest the spread of infection.

Based on the latest data from the World Health Organization, South Korea has a total of 14,203 confirmed cases, 300 of whom have died.

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul as of June 25 has facilitated the return of close to 700 Filipinos in South Korea, both residents and transiting passengers.

In the same briefing, de Jesus also answered when asked about the case of the former Philippine Ambassador to South Korea who was accused of sexual harassment by a Korean woman while serving in the host country last December.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is doing everything it can within the bounds of our laws and rules and regulation to protect all of our employees. We are seeking justice and that’s what the DFA wants,” de Jesus said.

In an earlier statement, the DFA said the accused resigned from the service last March 2020.