COVID-19 positive OFW in Riyadh fired by employer

An overseas Filipino worker in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was fired by her employer after she tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to JP Soriano's report on "24 Oras" on Tuesday, "Lea," then took her situation to social media because she had no other choice.

“Parang awa niyo po tulungan niyo po ako. Nandito po ako sa trabaho ko sa rehabilitation. Nagpositive po ako ng COVID. Nanghihina po ako. Hindi ko na kaya. Diyos ko, tulungan niyo po ako,” Lea said in the video she uploaded online.

“Pinandidirihan nila ako rito. Diyos ko,” she added.

A few hours after posting her call for help, Lea was thrown out of her accommodation by her employer and was forced to camp out on the street.

Several OFWs who saw her offered food but were not able to give her a place to stay.

After the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia's several phone calls and follow-ups with the Saudi health authorities, Lea was finally picked up by an ambulance that night.

Her husband, who is in the Philippines, told GMA News that it was not clear how his wife got infected with the illness.

He added they were not able to contact his wife because her phone was turned off.

“Hihingi ako ng tulong po sa embassy ng Pilipinas para hindi naman po mapabayaan doon. Talagang nabigla ako, nalungkot,” the husband of the OFW said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy said it is having a hard time contacting authorities in Saudi Arabia regarding the situation of Filipinos there.

The embassy added it already filed a diplomatic notice to Saudi Arabia on the OFWs case. —Ma. Angelica Garcia/LDF, GMA News