PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar yesterday assured adequate support and protection for officers and men of the National Capital Region Police Office which remain in the forefront of helping the government battle the further spread of COVID-19 in Metro Manila and its nearby provinces.

Apart from providing the Metro Manila police force headed by Major Gen. Vicente D. Danao Jr. with full support needed by the unit to procure additional personal protective equipment, medicines and vitamins for its men, the top cop said they are also stepping-up their effort to ensure the testing of all their personnel.

The program being supervised by the Administrative Support for COVID-19 Task Force headed by PNP Deputy Chief for Administration, Lieutenant Gen. Joselito M. Vera Cruz is progressing as the PNP leadership wants to regularly test their men for the virus specifically those assigned in Metro Manila.

“But because of this aggressive testing, maraming nagpa-positive kaya nga ang focus namin is to have a more effective contact tracing dito sa NHQ and with the help of the different Station Health Units of the PNP,” the PNP chief said.

Gen. Eleazar has also asked his men to be extra cautious as they continue their anti-criminality campaign while strictly enforcing IATF health protocols in NCR Plus and the rest of the country to help reduce the further spread of COVID-19 especially its more dangerous Delta variant.

The NCRPO has recorded the biggest number of fatalities with 20 since March last year. Of the 99 COVID-19 deaths in the PNP since March 2020, the others are from the following:

Eight from the Police Regional Office 7 in Central Visayas; six from the PRO4-A in Calabarzon region; four each from PRO3 in Central Luzon, PRO6 in Western Visayas, PRO12 in Central Mindanao and PRO9 in Western Mindanao; and three each from PRO10 in Northern Mindanao; PRO11 in Southern Mindanao; and the Bangsamoro Administrative Region.

Maj. Gen. Danao said they are also daily monitoring the situation in their different quarantine facilities, six of them located at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City.

At present, 244 patients are currently confined in nine different NCRPO quarantine facilities, said the PNP Health Service headed by Brigadier Gen. Luisito P. Magnaye.

The NCRPO has a total of 1,181 isolation beds with 244 of them occupied at present.

However, Maj. Gen. Danao said they recorded a 94.10 percent COVID-19 recovery rate among their personnel afflicted by the virus since March last year.

According to the Metro Manila police chief, out of the 5,913 NCRPO personnel who have contracted the disease since March 2020, 5,564 or 94.10 percent of the total have fully recovered from the virus and are now back to full duty status.

As of last week, the official said there are a total of 331 ‘active cases’ in the regional office being attended to by the Regional Medical and Dental Unit to ensure the immediate and full recovery of the patients.

“We are prioritizing the health of the Metro cops in order for them to better protect the community. To do this we are maximizing all efforts to curb the spread and prevent more virus transmissions in the NCRPO,” Maj. Gen. Danao said.

At present, 13,801 officers and men of the NCRPO are already fully vaccinated or 61.74 percent of the force’s entire strength of 22,354.

NCRPO personnel with medical backgrounds are also assisting the NCRPO RMDU headed by Colonel Nenita S. de Leon on the proper handling and administration of the vaccines to the recipients.

Danao said that 7,459 others or 33.46 percent of the NCRPO manpower are set to get their 2nd vaccine dose very soon.

The NCRPO chief said that they have also constructed or renovated 10 Special Care Facilities to house Metro Manila policemen who have been tested positive for the virus.

“These special care facilities are being manned by doctors and nurses looking after the health and physical condition of our men before they are allowed to return to work,” the official said.

Danao said they are also further stepping-up their information dissemination to help address the further spread of the virus thru their continuing Information Awareness Webinar/Seminars.

Under the supervision of the NCRPO Regional Public Information Office and Community Affairs and Development Division, the program include the regular conduct of zoom meetings and sending of text messages on COVID-19 prevention to all Metro Manila police personnel and units.

The Metro Manila police director said he wants the full vaccination of all his men who remain in the front-line of enforcing minimum health safety protocols in the metropolis to help prevent the further spread of the deadly virus.

Danao said that apart from securing vaccination sites, Metro Manila policemen are also facing the challenge and threats posed by the virus as they man different quarantine control points and quarantine facilities apart from providing convoy and route security to workers assigned to deliver the vaccines to their destinations.