By NG Seruela
Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Millicent Cruz-Paredes assured that they are prepared to aid the Filipino community as Thailand faces the Delta variant.
In a Laging Handa public briefing on Friday (July 16), Ambassador Cruz-Paredes reported that they are coordinating with the Filipino community organizations in Thailand for possible requests for assistance.
She said the estimated number of Filipinos in Thailand is around 30,000 where 30 have been tested positive for COVID-19 with 2 active cases, 27 recoveries, and 1 fatality. She bared that they are currently coordinating with the family of the COVID-19 casualty for assistance.
“At sa ngayon po, 30 po ang nagkasakit. Sa ngayon ay dadalawa lang po ang active cases, iyan po ay kinagagalak namin dahil given the high numbers ay dadalawa lang po ang active cases. Twenty-seven po ang gumaling na, at sa kasamaang palad ay may isa po tayong kababayan na namatay ngayon lang ding buwan ng July,” she said.
She explained that Thailand is currently facing the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic which happened around March where the COVID-19 variants entered the country. She said that it started in two high-end bars in Bangkok and has spread all over the country.
“Actually po, ang nakikita talaga na dahilan ay itong pagpasok lang ng bagong variants. Kami po ay nasa third wave right now. The second wave happened around December nito pong nakaraang taon dahil po sa pagpasok ng mga migrant workers; so iyon po ang pinagmulan ng second wave.”
She added that as Thailand faces the third wave in March, the embassy conducted two consecutive consular outreach in Chiang Mai and Phuket.
Cruz-Paredes said that the reason for the increased number of cases is the Delta variant and it constitutes around 69% of the COVID-19 cases in Bangkok.
“As a matter of fact, dito po sa Bangkok, nakikita nila na ang cases constitute around 69% ng cases po dito sa Bangkok ay Delta variant na. Kaya iyon po ang pinag-iingatan din namin.”
The PH Ambassador to Thailand guaranteed that they will continue to coordinate with the Filipino community in Thailand for its needs. – rir
