Personnel from 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 — Policemen in stations under Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), who have been under quarantine, continue to perform regular and routine tasks in their offices.
Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, chief of CCPO, said that those policemen, who were isolated in the stations such as those assigned in Carbon, San Nicolas and Pardo Police Stations, had been doing the usual reports and other office works.
Watch: Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, CCPO chief, gives updates on security, COVID-19
Read more: Over 50 San Nicolas police isolated after 2 PDLs tested positive for COVID-19
Ligan said that since they would still need to process documents and reports, they would have to utilize the policemen in the station.
Although some of those who were manning checkpoints and quarantine were augmented teams from the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), Ligan assured that they had enough men to secure the barangays around the city.
“We are doing the regular and routinary duties of our policemen aside from this providing security for COVID19 (coronavirus disease 2019),” said Ligan.
Read more: Carbon, Pardo Police assure operations won’t be affected by depleted personnel
As of today, May 18, 2020, there are 21 policemen, who tested positive of COVID-19, and are now under isolation in the Don Vicente Rama High School.
Ligan said they were still waiting for the result of the recently conducted swab testing among the policemen from Pardo and Carbon station.
The CCPO has 126 policemen, who are persons under monitoring (PUM), after being exposed to arrested persons who tested positive of COVID-19.
Ligan also assured that they had already traced the families and individuals, who were in contact with the policemen, and they were also made to undergo home quarantine./dbs