There are no longer active cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) among Filipino nationals in Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported Friday.
Out of the 121 Filipinos infected with the disease since 2020, DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez said 118 have recovered while three died.
The Philippine Embassy in Canberra also shared that the Filipino community in the country is in good condition despite the lockdowns and border restrictions there.
“[P]atuloy na nasa maayos na kalagayan ang ating Filipino community. Karamihan po sa ating mga kababayan ay nasa Sydney at Melbourne na nasabi kong naka-lockdown din ngayon (Our nationals are in good condition. Most of them are in Sydney and Melbourne, areas that are also currently under lockdown),” Philippine Ambassador to Australia Ma. Hellen de la Vega said in a briefing.
As of this posting, there are an estimated 304,015 Filipinos living and working in Australia.
Canberra is shifting its Covid-19 strategy from suppressing the outbreak down to the last case to dramatically increasing the vaccination rate to ease restrictions.
Its national plan is based on a modeling study of Doherty Institute in Melbourne that suggests a 70 percent vaccination threshold before lockdowns can be eased.
Australia has recorded 58,206 cases since the pandemic started, of which 1,032 died while 33,571 have recovered.
At present, there are 23,603 active cases still undergoing treatment in the country. (PNA)
