The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Sunday that a total of 125 immigration personnel assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) all tested negative for coronavirus-29.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said a second batch of rapid antibody-based testing was conducted for immigration personnel assigned at NAIA on Friday in an effort to curb the spread of the virus among its ranks.
“Thankfully, all tested negative during the rapid testing, but this does not mean that we will lower our guard,” said Morente.
“We have strict protocols in the use of PPEs (personal protective equipment) in the conduct of our officers’ duties, as well as the implementation of strict social distancing in all our offices,” he added
BI port operations division chief Grifton Medina said that in the testing, they prioritized officers with direct contact to COVID-19 passengers, senior citizens, pregnant women, and those with underlying medical conditions, officers who processed repatriation flights, as well as primary and secondary inspectors.
He said they are targeting to roll out mass testing among frontline officers who are one of the most at risk in contracting this virus, being the first that international travelers encounter during their arrival in the country. (Jun Ramirez)