ILOILO – The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) director, Police Colonel Paul Kenneth Lucas, urged all local government units (LGUs) to have their police force tested for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and shoulder the expenses for this.
“Para makasiguro tayo na walang positive sa kanila. Policemen deal with a lot of people everyday,” said Lucas.
The IPPO director revealed he had himself tested recently.
“I’m thankful na negative ang result,” said Lucas.
Last week a police officer of the Igbaras municipal police station tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Lucas ordered the lockdown of the station on Aug. 12 for decontamination.
The policeman, a patrolman and resident of Passi City, is now at the Igbaras quarantine facility.
“We don’t want to put the health of residents at risk,” said Lucas.
The LGU of Igbaras facilitated the COVID testing of the municipal police force (26 policemen) on Aug. 7. The results were released on Aug. 12.
While waiting for the results, the 26 cops stayed at the town’s quarantine facility; the IPPO sent a 25-personnel augmentation team to man the police station.
After the Igbaras police station was shut down, the augmentation cops moved to the Igbaras gym.
The police station will reopen once the COVID-positive policeman has been cleared of the virus, said Lucas./PN
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