BY JUN RAMIREZ
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) disclosed that 46 of its employees have been tested positive for COVID-19.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said that of the number, nine have already recovered while the 37 are still housed in government-accredited quarantine facilities.
“The good news is that, so far, none of our employees have succumbed to the virus,” Morente said.
He said that only one of the BI employees with confirmed COVID-19 infection is presently confined and recovering in a hospital.
Morente said that half of those who contracted the virus are currently assigned at the BI main office in Intramuros, Manila. The rest are stationed at the international airports in Pasay and Cebu, and extension offices nationwide.
The BI chief also said that the bureau had 93 suspected COVID-19 cases among its workers but half of them were already cleared, and were found negative for the virus after undergoing home quarantine.
Morente said the public should not be surprised that many BI employees were infected by the virus.
“We are one of the few government agencies whose personnel render frontline services, not only in our offices, but in the ports of entry as well,” he said.
He pointed out that BI personnel are always exposed to the risk of getting the virus whenever they report for duty as immigration offices and ports of entry are always crowded with people who transact business. (Jun Ramirez)
