More cops test positive for COVID

MANILA, Philippines — The number of Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 increased to 815 yesterday as 14 tested positive based on results released yesterday.

PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said six of the new patients, one of them a police official, are assigned in Metro Manila.

Three personnel of the Aviation Security Group, two each from the Special Action Force and Northern Mindanao and one from Central Luzon are among the latest patients in the police force.

PNP records show that 390 or 47.85 percent of the infected personnel have recovered. The death toll remains at nine.

The PNP is also monitoring 1,996 police officers who manifested symptoms of the virus or interacted with COVID-19 patients.

The Ifugao State University in Lamut and villages in nearby Hingyon and Tinoc towns in Ifugao were placed on lockdown after a police officer tested positive for the virus on Friday.

Authorities said the police officer, who is assigned in Metro Manila, went home to Tinoc for a brief visit and visited the university.

7 soldiers infected

Meanwhile, seven Army soldiers who returned to Negros Oriental after their deployment in Cebu to assist in the implementation of quarantine protocols have tested positive for the virus.

Liland Estacion, assistant provincial health officer, said the soldiers have mild symptoms and were quarantined at a military camp in Tanjay City.

Estacion said the infected soldiers, who served for three months in Cebu, were brought to the camp upon their arrival at the Dumaguete City port.

Maj. Cenon Pancito, 3rd Infantry Division spokesman, said 33 other soldiers of the 32nd Division Reconnaissance Company were brought to a quarantine facility for swab tests.

Pancito said contact tracing is underway to determine who were exposed to the soldiers.

Negros Oriental recorded 16 new cases yesterday.

Localized lockdown

In Bulacan, Mayor Ferdie Estrella of Baliuag placed portions of Libis Barangay Poblacion, a compound on Calderon street in Barangay Subic and Zone 5 in Barangay Tangos on lockdown on Friday.

The lockdown will be in place until the results of swab tests of suspected cases are released, but not to exceed 14 days.

In an executive order, Estrella said residents of Baliwag who are working and studying in Metro Manila as well as in Central, Eastern and Western Visayas should find a place to stay near their work places during the pandemic.

He said Baliwagenyos are advised not to invite residents of Metro Manila. If it cannot be avoided, visitors should register in the town’s iamsafe system for faster contact tracing.

All establishments and organizations in Baliwag are also required to register until July 15.

Cases spike

The number of confirmed cases in Basilan increased to 222 after 18 tested positive for the virus on Friday.

Six of the patients are frontliners in Isabela City and 12 locally stranded individuals.

Two new cases, both overseas Filipino workers, were recorded in Dagupan City in Pangasinan.

Six cases were recorded in Bataan on Friday.

The cases in Benguet  are down to four after two were discharged from an isolation facility at the Sto. Niño Hospital in Baguio City yesterday. Raymund Catindig, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Roel Pareño, Artemio Dumlao, Cesar Ramirez, Eva Visperas, Ric Sapnu