PNP COVID-19 victims breach 20K
THE number of Philippine National Police officers and men who have contracted the dreaded COVID-19 virus since March last year breached the 20,000 mark on Sunday as the PNP leadership called on their personnel to avoid self-medication and self-imposed home quarantine and instead seek help from their doctors as soon as they show symptoms of the disease. Since last year, 56 police personnel have died from the virus.
PNP Deputy Chief for Administration and concurrent Administrative Support for Joint COVID-19 Task Force Lieutenant General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said that on Sunday, the PNP Health Service recorded 133 new cases in the force, 129 of them new and the 4 others “reinfections.”
Eleazar said that since March 2020 to date, a total of 18,673 PNP personnel who got the virus have already fully recovered from the disease and are now back back on duty. The official reported 142 new recoveries.
However, the PNP-HS headed by Brigadier Gen. Luisito P. Magnaye is still monitoring a total of 1,699 active cases as of Saturday.
Eleazar said that the 56 deaths comprise 0.3 percent of the total PNP population while the 1,699 active cases comprise 8.2 percent of the total 20,398 confirmed cases.
PNP Chief General Debold M. Sinas said that he wants his men to refrain from indulging in self-medication and home quarantine since they already have facilities that will take care of police personnel who show symptoms of the virus.
Last Tuesday, the PNP chief led the ceremonial turnover and blessing of their latest quarantine facility inside Camp Crame.
The PNP chief said that the Basketball Court Ward at the KETF has a 96-bed capacity, a 16 cubicle shower-rest room/Donning-Doffing Area and other amenities needed by COVID-19 patients.
Also inaugurated was the Mechanical Scissor Lifter of the KETF.
Gen. Sinas said that the additional quarantine facility is the 3rd accommodation installed inside the PNP National Headquarters in Camp Crame as the PNP-HS continues to manage active cases COVID-19 infection among PNP personnel.
“This initiative is still part of the organization’s Biosafety Plan, helping our personnel to have a place where they can stay without worrying about infecting their family members as well as the rent fee and their meal while in quarantine,” the PNP chief said.
The whole Kiangan Complex has been converted into quarantine facilities with a 266-bed capacity, the top cop said.
