More than 50 police officers in Cebu City undergo swab test

Personnel of the Cebu City Health Department undergo disinfection after collecting swab samples from more than 50 police officers at the San Nicolas Police Station, where two detainees were confirmed to have COVID-19. | Photo courtesy of Councilor Dave Tumulak

CEBU CITY, Philippines – More than 50 police officers in Cebu City underwent swab testing on Thursday, May 7, 2020 to detect possible coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.

Health workers from the City Health Department (CHD) collected swab samples from 56 policemen and two non-uniformed officers assigned at San Nicolas Police Station (Police Station 6) in Barangay Sawang-Calero, Cebu City.

All officers assigned in the station were placed under a 14-day quarantine after two detainees arrested for drug charges on April 12, 2020 turned out to be positive for COVID-19.

There are 11 police stations in Cebu City, all of whom have been ordered to implement the city’s enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

As a result, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO – 7) is planning to request for augmentation of forces from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)

Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, in an earlier online press conference, admitted that enforcing Cebu City’s ECQ could be a challenge with COVID-19 downing an entire police station.

“Well, it will really weaken our force in trying to enforce ECQ. However we have our contingency plans,” said Ferro.

“We are using our reserve force at the region, and I have asked the help of the task force Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor of the Philippine Army to augment and reinforce our QCP (quick response personnel) and our different checkpoints in the area,” he added.

As of May 6, Cebu City has a total of 1,388 confirmed COVID-19 cases with seven deaths and 23 recoveries. /bmjo