THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Saturday mourned the death of two more policemen who contracted the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing to a total of 119 the number of PNP personnel who have succumbed to death after contracting the virus since March last year.

PNP chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said that the 118th fatality was a Patrolman from the Police Regional Office 5 in Bicol region who died of pneumonia critical caused by the COVID-19 last September 23.

The 119th fatality is a Police Chief Master Sergeant assigned in a national operational support unit station in Mimaropa region.

The cop turned out to have been undergoing dialysis twice a week as treatment for chronic kidney disease and has been advised during the first week of September to go on Alternative Working Arrangement to continue treatment.

He passed away in a local hospital last September 29.

“Taos-pusong pakikiramay ang ating pinapa-abot sa mga pamilya at kasamahan ng dalawang nasawing police front-liners. We assure their surviving kin of all death benefits and assistance due for deceased police personnel,” Eleazar said.

8 in 10 cops now fully vaccinated

The PNP Health Service (HS) on Saturday meanwhile recorded 70 new recoveries from the COVID-19 among its infected personnel, bringing down to 1,959 the number of “active cases” in the force.

This despite 245 new confirmed cases recorded on Friday and Saturday which brought to 40,070 the total number of police personnel who have contracted the virus since March 2020.

“Consistent with the national recovery rate of COVID-19 cases noted by the DOH, the PNP posted 94.8 percent recovery rate with 37,992 personnel healed of COVID-19 infection and returned to full-duty status,” Eleazar said.

“The national vaccination program extended to police frontliners contributed largely to greater resilience of the PNP against COVID-19,” the top cop said.

The PNP-HS headed by Brigadier Gen. Antonino R. Cirujales also said that a total of 357,290 vaccine doses have been administered to PNP personnel since last June.

“With this vaccine roll-out, a total of 176,166 personnel or 79.09 percent of all 222,000 PNP members are now fully vaccinated, while 39,967 or 17.94 percent are just awaiting the second dose to complete the inoculation,” Eleazar said.