Protocol breach eyed in PNP training facility COVID-19 outbreak

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — The Philippine National Police is looking into the possible breach of health protocols at a regional PNP training facility in this city after 51 personnel tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

Maj. Shellamie Chang, Zamboanga peninsula police spokesperson, said the infected trainees were brought to an isolation facility at the Zamboanga Economic Zone in Barangay Talisayan.

Chang said regional police director Gen. Ronaldo Genaro Ylagan ordered an investigation into what caused the infections, considering that the training facility has been on lockdown since late last year.

She said a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test is required from those entering the facility. Weekend passes of trainees were suspended as part of the lockdown measures.

Chang said they sought the assistance of the city government’s contact tracing teams.

The infections among police trainees brought the active cases in this city to 502.

693 cops infected

The PNP reported that 693 police personnel tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two days.

The PNP said 271 of its members contracted the virus yesterday and 422 on Wednesday.

There are now 2,579 active cases in the police force. – Emmanuel Tupas