Biliran gov, wife test positive for COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — Biliran Gov. Roger Espina and his wife Cecil, a physician, have tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

Both are asymptomatic.

The Espinas underwent RT-PCR or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test on Wednesday after two personnel of the office of the governor tested positive for the virus.

The governor’s office has been sanitized and contact tracing is underway.

Espina said he would not place Biliran on lockdown and would continue discharging his duties from home.

Acceptance or arrival of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) in Biliran has been suspended until Jan. 3.

The governor and his wife, who are on quarantine, expressed hope they would fully recover from the disease.

33 cops catch COVID-19

Thirty-three more police officers tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the Philippine National Police (PNP) to 8,702 as of Saturday.

PNP data showed a majority of the fresh cases were recorded in the police regional offices, with Northern Mindanao having the most number of infections with eight.

The rest of the cases came from Cagayan Valley and Eastern Visayas with three each, and one each from Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Central Luzon, the Cordilleras and Zamboanga peninsula.

The PNP’s operational support unit recorded 10 fresh cases and the national headquarters had five.

Meanwhile, an official and two personnel of the Solana police station in Cagayan tested positive for COVID on Saturday.

The official suffered a cold and diarrhea, according to the provincial health office.

The official was brought to a local quarantine facility while the personnel, who were asymptomatic, were placed under home quarantine.

The police station has been sanitized and the rest of the personnel were quarantined as they wait for the results of their swab tests, according to Lt. Romelyn Cabauatan, town police deputy chief. – Neil Jayson Servallos, Raymund Catindig