Passenger take a taxi after after disembarking from the Diamond Princess cruise ship – in quarantine due to fears of the new COVID-19 coronavirus – at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama in this file photo taken on February 19, 2020. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — A total of 308 Filipinos in Japan have been infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) but most have already recovered, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Philippine Embassy in Japan Robespierre Bolivar said Friday.
“Sa kabutihang palad po wala naman po tayong nabalitaan na seryoso ang kalagayan. Marami po sa kanila ay nadiskarga na, nadischarged na sa po hospital,” Bolivar said state-run PTV’s Laging Handa Public Briefing.
(Fortunately, we have not heard any serious case. Many of them have been discharged from hospital.)
“In the next day or two inaasahan po natin na may patuloy pa pong madidischarge sa hospital na gumaling na po sa COVID-19,” he added.
(In the next day or two, we hope that more will be discharged from hospital and recover from COVID-19.)
According to latest data from the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center, Japan currently has 84,228 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 76,081 recoveries and 1,580 deaths.
‘Not yet open for tourists’
Although Japan has eased its border restrictions, Bolivar said the East Asian country is not yet open to tourists.
Only those with invitations and are long-term residents will be allowed entry to Japan, the diplomat said.
“Hindi pa po open for tourists…’yung may invitations at long term residents ng Japan lang ang maaaring makapasok as of this time,” Bolivar said.
(Japan is not yet open to tourists. Only those with invitations and long term residents of Japan can enter as of this time.)