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BI readies more officers at airports due to COVID-19 surge

Philippines | National

BI readies more officers at airports due to COVID-19 surge

By Jun Ramirez

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has prepared a rapid response team to support its airport operations as many of its officers fell ill to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente (File photo/ MANILA BULLETIN)

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said he issued a directive for 155 immigration officers to render temporary duties at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Clark International Airport (CIA).

“These back-up men and women will constitute as augmentation team as some of our frontliners are on quarantine, or battling the virus,” said Morente on Friday, Jan. 21.

The emergency team is composed of officers assigned in different offices of the port operations division (POD) as well as in the main office and other field offices of the BI in Metro Manila.

As of Thursday, the BI recorded a total of 158 COVID-positive employees, mostly assigned at the NAIA and CIA.

Some 180 officers at the NAIA were quarantined after they were exposed to the disease.

“We are keeping our augmentation team on standby to be deployed immediately if the number of officers affected rises further,” said Morente.

Related Tags

covid-19 1212022 pandemic bureau of immigration

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