The Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday confirmed another surge in both the numbers of new COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) cases and new recoveries among overseas Filipinos.
This is the second consecutive day that the DFA has reported a spike in new cases and recoveries among Filipino nationals abroad.
In its latest report, the foreign affairs office said the 40 new confirmed cases were from the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe, while the 51 new recoveries were monitored in Asia and the Pacific and Europe.
It explained that the spikes are due to the belated reports received by the various Foreign Service Posts in Asia and the Pacific and Europe.
Meanwhile, there are no new COVID-19 fatalities reported on Tuesday, September 29.
To date, the Middle East remains to be the region with the most number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, recoveries, under treatment, and fatalities among our nationals.
The Americas, on the other hand, has the least numbers in all categories compared to other geographic regions, except in the total number of deaths, wherein Asia and the Pacific ranks lowest.
On the continuing repatriation of overseas Filipinos affected by the outbreak of the pandemic, the DFA welcomed the return of 16 stranded Filipino seafarers and three land-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from China.
Of the 16 seafarers, 11 were from Ocean Star 86, who had been stranded in Dongshan since March 2020.
The other five seafarers from M/V Maria P. were held at the port in Ningde, China since July 2020 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and protocols.
Migrant workers group Migrante International earlier demanded the immediate repatriation of the 11 seafarers in Dongshan, China and sought the filing of charges against their employers for allegedly subjecting the Filipinos to “horrendous suffering.”