70 foreigners in PH test positive for coronavirus

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 70 foreigners in the country have so far tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) announced Thursday.

“Meron na po tayong 70 na foreign nationals na nagtest positive dito sa Pilipinas. As to the number of those who have recovered and died, we are just getting the information now kasi kulang ang datos na meron po tayo ngayon,” Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing.

(We have 70 foreign nationals who have tested positive [for the coronavirus] here in the Philippines. As to the number of those who have recovered and died, we are still gathering more information because our current data is not complete.)

Of this number, 24 are Chinese, according to Vergeire. The disease was first reported in Wuhan in China’s Hubei province in late 2019.

“Out of these 70, ito pong 51 confirmed COVID-19 cases among foreign nationals, ‘yung kanilang mga test ay ginawa abroad (Out of these 70, 51 of the COVID-19 patients who are foreign nationals had their tests processed abroad),” she added.

Nationwide, the number of COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday afternoon is at 8,212, with 254 new cases.

The death toll iat 558, with 28 new fatalities. Meanwhile, the number of patients who have recovered is now at 1,023, with 48 new recoveries.

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