CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — All policemen who had close contact with Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas during his visit to the Mimaropa police headquarters in Calapan City have tested negative for COVID-19.
Lt. Col. Imelda Tolentino, Mimaropa police spokesperson, cited the swab test results of regional police director Brig. Gen. Pascual Muñoz Jr. and 66 other police officers.
Tolentino said the tests were conducted six days after Sinas visited Calapan on March 11.
Sinas had himself quarantined at an isolation facility at Camp Crame last week shortly after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, a 54-year-old police colonel and a pregnant policewoman, who contracted the virus, died on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
The number of fatalities among PNP personnel is now 36.
PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the policewoman was found positive for COVID-19 on March 12 and was confined in a hospital on March 17.
Eleazar said the other fatality had fever and cough for two weeks, but opted to self-medicate. He died three hours after the results of his swab test was released.
The fatalities were among the 172 new COVID-19 cases in the PNP.
The total number of active COVID-19 cases in the police force is 1,239.