MANILA - Some 310,000 Filipino migrant workers have been repatriated since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and more are expected to come home, Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday.

Lorenzana said in a public briefing aired late Tuesday night that this included the 151 Filipinos who recently arrived from Sabah. The defense chief said that 2,137 have arrived from that region.

"Meron pang natitirang 2,063 sa Sabah," he said.

OFWs have been returning to the Philippines since early March when coronavirus cases rapidly rose worldwide, forcing establishments and businesses to temporarily close in nearly all countries, leading to loss of jobs and income.

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The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier Tuesday said COVID-19 cases rose to 11,542 among Filipinos abroad.

The DFA said 3,243 are currently being treated for the disease as 7,467 of those infected have recovered, while 832 have died.

• DFA reports 14 new COVID-19 case among Filipinos abroad

In the Philippines, the novel coronavirus has so far sickened 410,718 since it first emerged in Wuhan, China. The tally includes 7,862 deaths, 374,543 recoveries, and 28,313 active cases.

• DOH reports 1,148 new COVID-19 cases, cites ‘low number of lab compliance’ in recent days