PRO-7 COVID count: 4 deaths, 42 active cases, 40 recoveries

There are now 40 policemen of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) infected with COVID-19 while 42 have recovered. There are also 4 deaths of the virus, the latest being one of the police investigators of the Cebu City Police Office. | PRO-7 photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The latest count of policemen in Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) who have coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now at 42 while 40 others have recovered and four deaths were recorded.

An investigator from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) was the recent fatality of the virus, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths in PRO-7 to four in a span of a week.

The first two policemen-fatalities were assigned at the Crime Laboratory and the Crisis Response Battalion Team. They died just hours apart on June 14 in separate hospitals int he city. The third policeman-fatality was from Talisay City, who died on Wednesday, June 17.

Read: Another COVID-positive cop dies in Cebu

Read: 6 CPPO policemen with COVID-19 asymptomatic, recovering

For the latest active cases, a police officer of PRO-7, who is from Dumaguete City and assigned at the Regional Plans and Strategy Management Division, was the latest PRO-7 policeman, who tested positive of the virus. The new case brought the tally of COVID-19 active cases among policemen to 42.

Read: PRO-7 officer, girlfriend positive of COVID-19

On Friday, June 19, the CCPO announced that 25 of the 133 policemen who underwent rapid testing on June 15, came out to have been positive of the infection. All 25 were isolated and were subjected to swab testing.

The results were expected to arrive three to fours days after.

Police Colonel Cydric Earl Tamayo, officer-in-charge of the CCPO, together with 13 other personnel were isolated on the second floor office of the CCPO in Camp Sotero Cabahug after having found out to have a close contact with one of the 25 personnel who tested positive of infection.

Read: 25 Cebu City policemen suspected for COVID-19

Despite the death of officers and the rising number of cases, the PRO-7 received good news on Thursday, June 18, when 20 of the 40 policemen, who recovered from COVID-19, were sent home.

The other 20, who also recovered continue to undergo further observation to make sure that they were all better before they would be cleared of the virus.

In an interview with the reporters, Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, PRO-7 director, assured that the policemen of PRO-7 would continue to protect the public while also making sure that they would be also safe from the virus.

Ferro said there will be and increase of preventive measures to better protect the policemen as well while they continue to help the community./dbs

Read: PRO-7 chief: More safety measures to protect cops from virus