19 BI officers on home quarantine due to novel coronavirus fears

Nineteen immigration officers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) have been placed under home quarantine as a precautionary measure against the novel coronavirus.

These officers had been on board five cruise ships that transported passengers who had recently traveled to China, Hong Kong, and Macau within the past 14 days.

The passengers on these vessels arrived in the country between January and February.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente assured BI personnel that this self-quarantine policy is intended to ensure everyone's health and safety.

Morente emphasized that neither the immigration officers nor the passengers exhibited any symptoms of the virus, according to the Bureau of Quarantine's assessment.

The death toll from the virus in China has reached 908 as of Monday morning, with more than 40,000 confirmed cases nationwide.