Immigration officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have been ordered to wear complete personal protective equipment when attending special flights.
Those flights have been ferrying passengers in and out of the Philippines as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente issued the order following the surge of repatriation and sweeper flights arriving and departing in the past several days.
“It is very important that our officers are protected against the virus when attending these special flights, especially since there are COVID-19 cases in the country already,” Morente said.
He says Immigration is anticipating a surge in passenger volumes at the NAIA and other international airports and seaports after the government decides to lift the enhanced community quarantine.
“I don’t want our officers to get sick. We are implementing measures to ensure the health and safety of our front liners," Morente said.
Port operations division chief Grifton Medina says he has already issued a memo saying immigration officers attending special flights should wear PPEs including face masks, face shields and gloves.
“They were also reminded to always practice physical and social distancing and avoid close contact with passengers,” Medina said.
To ensure that risks are minimized, Medina says, repatriated passengers are processed from a distance by Immigration officers. Passports and travel documents are also being sanitized by airline representatives before processing.
Immigration officials have been ordered to wash their hands with soap and alcohol after attending the special flights and before returning to their counter duties.
Medina says the wearing of PPEs is especially critical whenever Immigration officials process passengers of repatriation flights from countries with a high number of COVID-19 cases.
