Domestic worker is first Filipino coronavirus case in Kuwait

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait said that a female domestic worker has tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the first confirmed Filipino case in the country.

In a statement released on Friday, March 20, addressed to the Filipino community in Kuwait, the embassy said that the Filipino national “had a close contact with a person who traveled recently to the United Kingdom.”

“According to the health authorities, the said Filipino domestic worker is in stable condition. The Embassy and POLO-OWWA [Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration] are currently monitoring her case,” the embassy said.

The embassy also urged Filipinos in Kuwait “to stay at home, follow the instructions of the Kuwaiti authorities, and stay healthy during this time.”

A number of Filipinos abroad have tested positive for COVID-19. (READ: Coronavirus-positive Filipinos in foreign countries, as of March 20, 2020)

In Singapore, two domestic workers had COVID-19 after they were exposed to their employer. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.

Since the novel coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China in December last year, over 200,000 COVID-19 cases have been recorded globally, with more than 9,000 deaths across 157 countries. Thousands have also recovered. – Rappler.com