24 more Filipinos abroad get COVID-19; 5 others die — DFA

This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The coronavirus outbreak has exposed a seeming disconnect between the financial markets and science. Health experts are uncertain how far the virus out of China will spread and how bad the crisis will get, yet stock markets are rallying as if they’re not expecting more than a modest hit to the global economy. (CDC via AP, File)

MANILA, Philippines — The total number of Filipinos abroad who got infected with COVID-19 rose to 18,658 after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported 24 additional cases on Friday.

Aside from the 24 new infections recorded by the DFA, it also logged four new recoveries, pushing the number of patients who recovered from the disease to 11,400.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 death toll among overseas Filipinos increased to 1,168 after the DFA recorded five additional fatalities.

According to the DFA, there are 94 countries or territories with COVID-19 cases among Filipinos.

“The DFA personnel in our Foreign Service Posts remain steadfast in partnering with local health authorities and commit to tirelessly attending to the needs of our people, whenever possible,” the agency said.

As of Thursday, the Philippines has logged a total of 1,165,155 COVID-19 infections, over 51,000 of which are active cases.

Meanwhile, 19,641 patients have succumbed from the disease in the country.