6 CPPO policemen with COVID-19 asymptomatic, recovering

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CEBU CITY, Philippines — The six policemen from various police stations in Cebu province, who tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), are now recovering.

Police Colonel Roderick Mariano, Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) director, confirmed to reporters on Thursday, June 18, that six policemen in the province had been infected with COVID-19.

Four of the six policemen in Cebu province, who have COVID-19, are assigned at San Fernando Police Station, another one is at the Cordova Police Station, and the sixth one was detailed to secure the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Mariano said in a teleconference.

The two police stations have been previously placed under total lockdown after health authorities found several detainees staying there to have been infected with COVID-19.

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Mariano said all policemen were asymptomatic and had been placed under isolation.

He also said the police officers had remained healthy and had showed signs of recovery.

“All of them are asymptomatic and have been placed under isolation and being supervised by our regional health services. They are in stable condition, and look like they are recovering,” said Mariano in a mix of English and Tagalog.

“At this point, we are now waiting for health officers to conduct the second round of swab tests to determine if they have been cleared from the virus,” he added.

The CPPO’s top official said the policemen happened to be first-degree contacts of detainees, who were previously confirmed to have COVID-19. Laboratory results of their swab tests were released last May 31, June 3, and June 8.

Mariano also said their office had already instructed the police stations where the infected personnel and inmates were discovered to regularly conduct disinfection and contact tracing.

Meanwhile, Mariano also said they were waiting for the test results of another policeman from Talisay City, who died last Wednesday, June 17, and was suspected to have COVID-19.

“We’re still waiting for official word from the health officers. His cause of death is still being determined as of this moment,” Mariano said.

Initial information from the police showed that the 44-year-old policemen was admitted to a government hospital in Talisay City for three weeks.

He was also found to have diabetes and was intubated prior to his death. /dbs