On August 25, the U.S. government delivered personal protective equipment and passport readers to Peru’s Migration Superintendence, which will be used to enforce proper passenger controls in Peruvian airports. The modern units are particularly important to save lives amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The protective equipment and passport readers will help migration personnel to process the influx of international travelers in a more agile, secure way, thereby mitigating the risks of COVID-19 infection. The 40 modern passport readers will reduce queueing time and the exposure of both inspectors and passengers. In addition, the readers will help increase the ability to detect authentic documentation and facilitate legitimate traveling. This donation is valued at more than $80,000, reflecting once again the U.S. government’s support for Peru to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen its institutional capacity.
During the handover ceremony, Denison Offutt, chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Peru, highlighted that the help the United States has been providing to Peru to fight the COVID-19 pandemic so far exceeds $23 million. This includes 250 modern mechanical ventilators recently delivered to Peru for distribution in different regions of the country and “EpiShuttle” medical isolation units for transporting patients safely.
Chargé d’Affaires Offutt said that Peru and the United States “continue to work with determination and optimism and face the COVID-19 pandemic together. Our ties are of cooperation and, above all, of friendship. Together we will overcome this challenge.”