19 BI officers told to undergo home quarantine after boarding ships carrying passengers who had visited China

(Eagle News) – The Bureau of Immigration said that 19 of its immigration officers who boarded vessels which carried passengers with travel history from China, Hong Kong and Macau, have been advised to go on “home quarantine.”

In a statement, Immigration commissioner Jaime Morente said that the 19 immigration officers had boarded five different cruise ships that have passengers who visited China, Hong Kong and Macau in the last two weeks, and arrived between January to February.

“The 19 immigration officers did not exhibit any symptoms of the virus, and neither did the passengers that they inspected. They were assessed by competent personnel of the Bureau of Quarantine, who were part of the boarding teams that inspect arriving ships,” said Morente.

He also assured other personnel of the bureau that this move should not worry them.

He said that this merely “ensures the health and safety of everyone through preventive measures.”

The Philippines so far has 261 admitted cases of persons under investigation (PUIs) for the novel coronavirus.

The Department of Health said that there are 314 PUI cases in all, 48 of whom had already been discharged.