Philippines to repatriate remains of 152 workers who died from Covid-19 in Saudi

The Philippines will bring home early next month the remains of 152 migrant workers who died of Covid-19 in Saudi Arabia, the Southeast Asian nation’s Labor Department said Friday.

The remains will be transported to Riyadh and Jeddah, and will then be flown to the Philippines via chartered planes and brought directly to crematoriums chosen by their families, the agency said in a statement.

The bodies of 149 others who died of causes not related to coronavirus will also be repatriated, it said.

A total of 8,361 Filipinos abroad have been infected by the virus, including 513 who died, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.