87th PNP COVID-19 death recorded
A MEMBER of the Northern Police District (NPD) who went on ‘self-medication’ after being tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday died making him the 87th member of the Philippine National Police to pass away after contracting the dreaded virus since March last year.
PNP chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar described the 87th COVID-19 fatality as a 43-year old Police Senior Sergeant from the NPD. The cop succumbed to acute respiratory failure secondary to severe pneumonia caused by COVID-19, he said.
The top cop said that the fatality who is yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccine died at the Casimiro Ynares Sr. quarantine facility in Rodriguez, Rizal around 5 p.m. Saturday.
A report from the PNP Health Service said that the victim experienced loss of taste and smell last August 3. He was later tested positive for the virus during the conduct of a Rapid Antigen Test.
Gen. Eleazar said that the following day, the policeman, his sense of taste and smell gone and suffering from mild cough and colds was found to have decided to undergo self-medication.
When his condition failed to improve, the informed the Navotas City Police Station Health Unit of the result of his antigen test and was advised to undergo an RT-PCR test at the Rodriguez hospital. The RT-PCR test showed he was positive for the virus.
The policeman was admitted at the Rodriguez quarantine facility around 2 a.m. last Thursday while complaining of his previous medical condition.
He later failed to respond to calls and messages made by his colleagues last Friday. On Saturday, the cop’s wife informed the Navotas City police station that he had died already.
“The entire PNP deeply sympathizes with the family of the said police officer. We assure the bereaved family of financial assistance and a prompt release of all death benefits due him,” Gen. Eleazar said.
“This is again a stern reminder to all of our PNP personnel. Do not self-meditate but rather, seek immediate professional medical attention upon the onset symptoms of COVID-19,” he added.
The PNP Health Service headed by Brigadier Gen. Luisito P. Magnaye also recorded 152 new COVID-19 cases in the force on Sunday bringing to 31,497 the total number of police personnel who have contracted the virus since last year.
PNP health experts are currently monitoring a total of 1,673 ‘active cases’ in the organization.
However, there were 57 new recoveries recorded on the same day bringing to 29,737 the number of PNP personnel who have fully recovered from the disease and are now back to full duty status since March 2020.
Of the 87 COVID-19 deaths, four are from the PNP National Headquarters in Camp Crame; seven from National Administrative Support Units; 20 from different National Operational Support Units; and 56 from the different Police Regional Offices.
As of Sunday, a total of 63,553 or 28.24 percent of the PNP’s entire strength have been fully vaccinated while 57,466 personnel or 25.94 percent have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine leaving a total of 101,488 PNP personnel or 45.82 percent unvaccinated in the force as of press time.
