By Roy Mabasa
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday recorded 26 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases among Filipinos abroad, with a high of 21 new recoveries and only one death.
These figures bring the total number of confirmed cases to 2,431, while those who have recovered from the disease are now at 849. Of the total, 1,302 are active cases or patients still undergoing treatment while a total of 280 Filipino nationals have succumbed to the pandemic.
In its latest tally, the DFA noted that Europe and the Middle East still have the highest number of COVID-19 positive Filipinos with over 700 cases each, while Asia Pacific has the fewest cases at 447.
The Americas, on the other hand, has the highest number of fatalities at 149.
Meanwhile, the DFA admitted that the repatriations of distressed overseas Filipinos have been hampered by the existing inbound and outbound travel restrictions in some countries due to the pandemic, as well as the “absorptive capacity” limit of quarantine centers in Metro Manila that would receive the returning nationals.
It was reported that over 20,000 repatriates are still waiting in quarantine areas pending their compliance with quarantine and testing requirements before they will be allowed to return to their respective homes.