Ilocos PNP on lockdown again

ILOCOS, Philippines — The Ilocos regional police office in San Fernando City, La Union has been locked down again after five police officers tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., Region 1 police director, said the lockdown, which started on Tuesday, is indefinite until the COVID test results of 40 police officers who were exposed to their infected colleagues are released.

Azurin said his swab test yielded a negative result.

He said four police officers who contracted  the virus are asymptomatic. One has mild symptoms and is confined in a hospital while two were isolated in a quarantine facility.

The regional police office was first placed on lockdown on July 30 after three police applicants tested positive for the virus.

In Kalinga, four police officers in Tanudan town are among the new cases in the province. The patients were brought to an isolation facility in Barangay Agbannawag in Tabuk City. 

Three police officers in Tabuk City had earlier contracted the virus.

Meanwhile, 46 more police officers have contracted COVID-19, according to a report of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday night.

PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said there are now 4,179 confirmed cases in the police force.

Banac said 2,842 or around 68 percent have recovered.Sixteen have died while the rest are recuperating in hospitals or quarantine facilities.

Banac said 25 of the new cases are from Metro Manila, eight from Eastern Visayas, five from Calabarzon, two from Cagayan Valley and one from Western Visayas. The rest are from various administrative and national support units of the PNP.

Banac said 3,577 other police officers who exhibited symptoms of the virus or had interacted with COVID-19 patients are being monitored.

NCIP office,  hospital closed

In Butuan City, the National Commission on Indigenous People regional office in Caraga was closed for two weeks starting on Saturday for disinfection after an employee contracted the virus.

Butuan City Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada locked down the Langihan public market after four vendors tested positive for the virus. One of the patients died.

In Pampanga, Apalit Mayor Oscar Tetangco Jr. said a private hospital was placed on lockdown for 14 days after three nurses were infected.

Meanwhile, in Iligan City, Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz bared that he contracted the disease after he and Councilor Noli Pardillo guested in a radio program.

Pardillo had earlier tested positive for COVID-19.  – Raymund Catindig, Emmanuel Tupas, Ben Serrano, Ric Sapnu, Lino de la Cruz