Basulta police ordered: Beef up border control amid threat of Delta variant
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police ordered its forces in Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi to intensify the monitoring and patrol on the shores of the island provinces to prevent the illegal entry of people from neighboring countries amid the threat of the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
This comes as Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP chief, disclosed he visited the area to check on the morale and welfare of the local police and get updates on the security measures implemented in the three provinces to protect residents from coronavirus transmission.
"The Delta variant [is] a serious problem now in our neighboring country Indonesia," Eleazar said in Filipino.
"The morale of our policemen in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi is high and they continue to play a part not only in ensuring the security of our countrymen against terrorism but also in the ongoing threat of COVID-19," he added.
To recall, the national government has included Indonesia in the list of countries with strict travel restrictions amid the severe wave of COVID-19 cases which health experts attributed to the Delta variant. Other travel bans include those on India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Oman.
As it currently stands, 35 people infected with the highly infectious B.1.617.2 variant have been recorded in the Philippines.
The PNP chief in his statement said that the Philippines shares border with Indonesia and Malaysia in Mindanao, and the porous border in the South is reportedly being taken advantage of for smuggling activities, including those who want to easily get in and out of the Philippines.
"Apart from our local police forces, I have also issued an order to our commanders there, especially the Maritime Group, to strengthen border control on all entrants from Indonesia and Malaysia to ensure that we cannot pass through there," said Eleazar.
To date, health authorities have recorded 1.5 million coronavirus infections in the Philippines, 47,190 of whom remain classified as active cases.
Health authorities have said that the Delta variant is a more transmissible variant of the COVID-19 and said it was the reason for the severe and deadly wave of mass infections in India.
Eleazar said local police units and the Maritime Group have been tasked to coordinate with local governments, the military, and the coast guard to come up with measures to seal the Mindanao areas from illegal entry.
The PNP chief is also expected to meet with the regional police officials of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in a command conference to discuss security and safety measures in the region.
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