MANILA - The number of Filipinos abroad who have contracted COVID-19 rose to 18,001 as 889 new cases were recorded Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

The DFA also reported 913 new recoveries and 30 new fatalities.

The additional infections, recoveries and fatalities are the highest for 2021, so far. The DFA said the spike is due to the substantial number of new cases and recoveries in the Middle East.

Those currently being treated abroad for the disease are 5,850, as 11,038 of those infected have recovered, while 1,113 have died.

There are currently 91 countries/territories with Filipinos stricken with COVID-19.

Those undergoing treatment are broken down as follows by region: 1,033 in the Asia Pacific, 905 in Europe, 3,827 in the Middle East and Africa, and 85 in the Americas.

Today, the DFA reports 889 new COVID-19 cases, 913 new recoveries, & 30 new fatalities among Filipinos abroad. The reported spike is due to increase in confirmed cases & recoveries in the Middle East & the highest recorded this year.@teddyboylocsin#DFAForgingAhead#WeHealAsOne pic.twitter.com/iuhaNszgZK

— DFA Philippines (@DFAPHL) April 13, 2021

In the Philippines, COVID-19 has so far sickened 884,783 people. The tally includes 15,286 deaths, 703,963 recoveries, and 165,534 active cases.

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The new coronavirus is believed to have first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

Data from US-based Johns Hopkins University showed that more than 136 million people globally have contracted COVID-19, with the United States, Brazil, India, France, and Russia leading countries with the most number of cases.

The UK in December last year detected a reportedly more infectious COVID-19 strain, leading some countries to impose new lockdown and travel restrictions to stem its spread. New variants were also reported in South Africa, Brazil and the Philippines.

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More than 2.9 million have died worldwide because of the disease, while some 77.8 million already recovered.

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