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The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Monday, May 10, that one of its personnel who worked in the Philippine embassy in India has died due to COVID-19.
“One personnel in the Philippine embassy in India passed away due to COVID-19,” DFA confirmed. The personnel had worked as consular staff in the embassy.
India, the new center of the coronavirus pandemic in recent weeks, has held close to record daily high infections and deaths since the crisis in the country worsened in April. With the deadly surge in cases in the country still soaring, pleas for oxygen, bed space, and treatment in hospitals have also overwhelmed families and communities.
The dire situation has prompted the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to call for a “complete, well-planned, pre-announced” lockdown, which had been backed by top White House coronavirus adviser Dr Anthony Fauci, who told Indian officials “you’ve got to shut down.”
There has also been increasing pressure on the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do so, with Modi’s government facing criticism for its pandemic response.
While India suffers its worst outbreak yet, countries beyond its borders feel the effects of the country’s surge after a new variant was found and supplies of vaccines manufactured in India had been affected. India had been touted as the ‘pharmacy of the world,’ with the largest vaccine manufacturing facilities located in the country.
The Philippine Ambassador to India, Ramon Bagatsing Jr, had earlier said the situation in the country was “very serious.”
To date, the DFA reported 18,545 total confirmed COVID-19 cases among Filipinos overseas. This included 6,036 patients who were undergoing treatment and 1,160 who died due to the disease since the start of the pandemic.
Majority of cases were reported in the Middle East and Africa (10,465 total cases), followed by the Asia Pacific Region (3,709 cases), Europe (3,388), and Americas (983 cases).
Most deaths were recorded in the Middle East and Africas (758 deaths), followed by the Americas (243 deaths), Europe (130), and Asia Pacific (29 deaths). – With reports from Sofia Tomacruz and Reuters/Rappler.com
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