DFA: 322 more migrant Filipinos contract coronavirus; tally rises to 13,378
MANILA, Philippines — A spike in COVID-19 cases in one European country caused hundreds of migrant Filipinos to contract the virus, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.
The agency in its latest tally recorded 322 new infections among overseas Filipinos.
"The reported spike is due to another surge in COVID-19 cases in one country in Europe," DFA said without naming the country in question. Previously, the department told reporters that the official data it receives is aggregated by region.
This surge in cases brings the DFA's tally to 13,378. Of these cases, 3,858 are marked by the agency as active or undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, the number of migrant Filipinos who beat the virus rose to 8,585 after foreign affairs officials logged 92 new recoveries.
Deaths remain unchanged at 935 with no new fatalities reported Wednesday.
In the Philippines, the health department has logged 492,700 cases of coronavirus along with 9,699 deaths.
It has been 304 days since parts of the country were first placed under lockdown.
The government has also hoisted a travel ban on 33 countries in a bid to keep out a new variant of coronavirus which experts say is at least 50% more contagious.
READ: Philippines expands travel ban due to new coronavirus variant to 5 more countries
While Filipinos from these countries will be allowed to return home, the DFA, citing limited quarantine facilities, has strongly urged them to reconsider travel plans until January 15 which is when the ban expires.
"Those entering the Philippines from, or who have been to, the affected countries and jurisdiction in the last 14 days are also reminded that they will be required to undergo and complete a strict mandatory 14-day quarantine at a DOH-approved facility, regardless of negative RT-PCR result," DFA said in a separate press release on Tuesday. — Bella Perez-Rubio
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