56 Ilocos cops get Covid; reg’l PNP lock-down on

By Mar T. Supnad

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union -- The number of police infected with Covid-19 since the beginning of the enhanced community quarantine on March 16 to date in Police Regional Office 1 here has risen to 56 to date.
      This, as the regional headquarters is still under indefinite lockdown, pending result of swab tests on personnel.
     The regional police office reported here at Camp Florendo however 31 recovered, 25 personnel listed as active cases with zero casualty.
      Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Santos Azurin Jr, PRO1 regional director said rapid increase in the number of infected cases in PRO1 was attributed to the f massive RT-PCR test or swab testing on all personnel, after some officers tested positive for the disease.
      In his report to Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, Philippine National Police chief, Azurin said as of Sept. 7, a total of 856 or 10% of 8,631 personnel from the regional police headquarters down to police stations had undergone RT-PCR tests.
      These include the personnel who were considered close contacts of the positive cases while the remaining 90% of the personnel were scheduled for swab testing.
       Of the 25 active cases, two have manifested mild symptoms while 23 were asymptomatic.
      Of these cases, only one was admitted in a hospital, another under home quarantine and 23 in isolation facilities.
      “Our police personnel are physically and mentally exhausted hence, they are immuno-compromised. It is therefore necessary to take immediate actions in order to address this rising health emergency within our ranks. To do so, we have forwarded a request to the higher office for a skeletal duty scheme to limit physical contact,” said Azurin.
     He ordered Col. Jessiemyr Protacio, Regional Health Service 1 chief and Lt. Col. Relly Arnedo, chief of Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division to conduct contact tracing on all personnel.
     Azurin extended gratitude La Union local government headed by Gov. Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III and Mayor Alfredo Ortega of City of San Fernando, in coordination with PhilHealth and City Health Office, for initiating the conduct of RT-PCR tests to RHQ personnel and providing quarantine facilities.