15 Tuburan cops tested positive for COVID-19

CEBU, Philippines —  The Tuburan Police Station was placed on temporary lockdown after 15 of its personnel have tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Police Regional Office-7 director Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro said all the infected personnel will be isolated in the police station.

"We will take care of them, we will isolate them, if necessary we will lock down the police station,” Ferro said.

He said the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) also has its own isolation and quarantine facilities for personnel afflicted with COVID-19. Ferro assured that police operations in Tuburan will continue as usual despite the temporary lockdown of the police station.

Tuburan police chief Lieutenant Colonel George Buyacao Jr. said they have set up a temporary workstation outside of the police station to ensure that operations are unhampered.

Buyacao said he also assigned personnel inside the station to look after the detainees. He said Tuburan only have 30 police personnel and half of them were tested positive for COVID-19.

Aside from Tuburan, the Minglanilla Police Station was also placed on lockdown after the chief of police also tested positive for COVID-19.  At least 40 other personnel from Minglanilla were also isolated.

"The Tuburan and Minglanilla has a good isolation facility as well but if they will really need, we will provide the Vicente Rama isolation area for our police, didto naka recover atong mga natakdan na mga police," Ferro said.

Despite having two police stations on lockdown in the province, Ferro said that the CPPO is still capable of providing efficient police service. He said that there is also a ready augmentation force from the Regional Crisis Battalion should there be a need for additional personnel. — FPL (FREEMAN)