By Roy Mabasa
Twenty Filipinos living overseas have recovered from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) bared in its latest report.
Apart from the recoveries, the DFA reported 40 new confirmed cases and eight new deaths among Filipinos abroad
In its June 11, 2020 report, the DFA said the new recoveries were recorded in the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe while the new fatalities were from the Americas and the Middle East.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 5,469.
Among the regions, the Middle East not only has the highest recorded COVID-19 cases at 3,385 but also in terms of total patients undergoing treatment and total recoveries at almost 1,900 and almost 1,400, respectively.
The Americas still has the highest number of fatalities at 155, followed by the Middle East at 142.
Meanwhile, a total of 128 Filipinos affected by the COVID-19 pandemic abroad were repatriated from Istanbul on Thursday via a special flight of Turkish Airlines.
The repatriates were composed of 69 land-based Filipino nationals, 19 students, and 34 undocumented workers who all came from various provinces across Turkey.
Also among the repatriates were 56 seafarers from different ships docked in Turkish ports amid the pandemic.
The special flight likewise ferried the remains of Benguet-native Maria Biluan, an OFW who passed away on May 20, 2020 in Ankara, Turkey.