MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration has ordered that all of its more than 3,000 officials and employees nationwide must undergo mandatory rapid antibody tests for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said Thursday that BI employees who will refuse to take the test will not be allowed to report for work. According to Morente, mandatory rapid tests for BI employees started Wednesday at the BI’s main building in Intramuros, Manila with the help of the city government that sent a team of frontliners from the city health office to do the tests. About a third of the bureau’s total number of employees voluntarily took part in previous rapid tests conducted by the BI medical team, according to BI acting spokesman Melvin Mabulac. To recall, the BI earlier announced the temporary closure and disinfection of its main building last Monday after one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 11, 2020 01:55 UTC