A total of 78 Filipinos in Hong Kong have contracted COVID-19, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, with no casualties reported.
"Ang latest, 78 na yung ating kababayan na na-COVID. Ngayon 'yung mga kababayan natin na na-COVID either nasa ospital o kaya nandun sila sa quarantine facilities," he told DZRH on Wednesday.
(The latest is 78 Filipinos have contracted COVID. Now, these COVID-positive Filipinos are either in a hospital or in a quarantine facility.)
Despite being hospitalized, however, Bello said that the government has yet to report a casualty among Filipinos there.
The labor secretary said they are working with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) to assist documented overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who contracted COVID-19.
Undocumented workers, however, fall under the responsibility of the Department of Foreign Affairs, according to Bello, adding they are also working with the agency to help undocumented COVID-positive Filipinos there.
Malacañang previously said that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration will provide $200 for every COVID-positive OFW in Hong Kong, on top of the $200 given by the POLO as after-care financial assistance to those who recover from the disease.
Hong Kong is currently seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases, with 6,211 new infections reported on Tuesday.
