A 31-YEAR-OLD police non-commissioned officer early yesterday morning was recorded as the 57th COVID-19 fatality in the Philippine National Police after he passed away in a Nueva Ecija hospital, the Journal Group learned.

The 57th fatality was a member of the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office with the rank of Corporal who tested positive for the virus last April 27 and was taken to a local quarantine facility in San Antonio municipality.

On Monday, the policeman was rushed to a hospital in Gapan City due to difficulty of breathing and muscle cramps before being transferred to another provincial hospital for further medical attention.

Around 3:4 a.m. yesterday, the cop died of “acute respiratory failure, community-acquired pneumonia, high-risk COVID-19 critical.”

Yesterday, the number of PNP officers and men who have contracted the dreaded COVID-19 virus since March last year rose to 20,616 even 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.

PNP Deputy Chief for Administration and concurrent Administrative Support for Joint COVID-19 Task Force, Lieutenant General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said that on Monday, the PNP Health Service recorded 110 new COVID-19 cases in the force, 107 of them new and the three others reinfection.

Lt. Gen. Eleazar said that since March 2020 to date, a total of 18,919 PNP personnel who got the virus have already fully recovered from the disease and are now back to full duty status. The official also reported 146 new recoveries on Monday.

However, the PNP-HS headed by Brigadier Gen. Luisito P. Magnaye is still monitoring a total of 1,641 ‘active cases’ as of Saturday.

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.