DFA: Virus has infected 203 overseas Filipinos
THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has infected 203 overseas Filipinos since it broke out.
The DFA said Covid-positive Filipinos were in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and the Americas.
It added that a third Filipino overseas had died from the virus in a country in Europe it did not specify.
The first fatality died in Europe on March 24, while the second died in a country in the Asia-Pacific on March 25.
As of Thursday, the number of Filipinos who tested positive jumped to 203 in 26 countries, from Wednesday’s 169 in 25 countries.
Among those infected, the number of Filipinos who have recovered rose to 107 from 90 as of Wednesday. The number of those undergoing treatment rose to 93 from Wednesday’s 77.
As of March 26, the number of infected Filipinos in the Asia- Pacific region has risen to 115 from the previous day’s 111. The vast majority of 86 have already recovered, while 28 are still under treatment and one has died.
These include the 80 crew members of the MV Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.
In Europe, the number of virus positive Filipinos rose to 43. Thirty- six of them are undergoing treatment, five have recovered and two have died.
Also on Friday, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and state universities and colleges reported the safe repatriation of 13 students from Vietnam, Japan and the United Kingdom to the Philippines amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Among the repatriates were five hospitality management students of the College of Management, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, who were interns in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
CHEd Chairman J. Prospero de Vera 3rd said the students had returned to La Union and would stay at a temporary quarantine facility for 14 days before returning to their respective residences.
De Vera said five Aklan State University students, who were in Hokkaido, Japa n for an international internship under the Student Internship Abroad Program, arrived on Thursday and were brought to a temporary accommodation for a self- quarantine protocol.
Earlier this week, the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) reported that three faculty/staff members who are scholars of the Dual PhD by Research Program of UPLB and the University of Reading in the United Kingdom were brought to Heathrow Airport on March 17.
Upon arrival in Manila on March 18, de Vera said the students underwent the required immigration procedures at the airport and were driven to their homes or temporary residences to start their 14- day self- quarantine period.
The CHEd will coordinate with the DFA and the Department of Health to inform them of the case of the students and their status as persons under monitoring and to ensure that DFA posts abroad assist the students in returning to the country.
“I would like to thank DFA Secretary [Teodoro] Teddyboy Locsin [Jr.] for ordering our foreign posts to provide assistance to our returning students,” de Vera said.