ILOILO City – Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected six personnel of the Buenavista municipal police station in Guimaras.
Guimaras police provincial director, Police Colonel Pablito Asmod reported that one of his officers on Monday yielded a positive result of his reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test.
This cop was a close contact of a child who tested positive for COVID, Asmod said.
Contact tracing was immediately done. Of the officer’s six team members, five tested positive for the viral disease, too. These cops have been vaccinated against COVID-19. They were facility quarantined.
“Our men in the municipal facility are feeling good, and we sent some men to replace them while they are under quarantine,” Asmod told Panay News.
Since the start of the epidemic, a total of 1,242 police officers from across the region, including the latest six, tested positive for the deadly virus.
Records from the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), as of Aug. 23, showed that 1,242 officers were infected – 150 active, 1,088 recovered and four died.
Out of 150 active cases, Aklan Police Provincial Office had the highest number of infected personnel at 39; Iloilo Police Provincial Office (29); Regional Headquarters (20); Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO, 19); Antique Police Provincial Office (16); Capiz Police Provincial Office (10); Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO, seven); Bacolod City Police Office (two); Guimaras Police Provincial Office (seven); and Regional Mobile Force Battalion (one).
Two NOCPPO personnel died due to the virus, while the Regional Headquarters and ICPO had one death each.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, PRO-6 spokesperson, reminded the cops to be extra careful while serving the people.
“With the nature of our work, we could not avoid getting infected because we are dealing with people every day, and we are here to serve them. This is our job and what we have to do is to take care of ourselves,” Malong said.
Malong also cautioned the public to avoid gatherings because most COVID-19 positive persons got infected in gatherings.
In the city and province of Iloilo, gatherings are still prohibited. Some restaurants are allowed for dining, but in a limited capacity only.
“Still, we have to follow health protocols and stay at home to avoid being infected,” Malong added./PN
