CEBU CITY, Philippines — All policemen of Cebu City who were isolated for contracting the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have proven negative to the disease in the most recent swab test.
This was revealed by Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, the director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), on Wednesday, August 26, 2020.
“I am happy to announce that Cebu City Police is COVID free,” said Ligan.
“Hopefully no one else will be infected because they already have the antibodies,” he added.
The last policeman will graduate from the Cebu City isolation facility in Barangay Taptap in the next seven days, and will hopefully be the last of the police force to be isolated for the disease.
Ligan said the infection in the force began during the drug busts conducted in the pasts without the proper protocol yet set for the handling of possibly COVID-positive arrested individuals.
This time, the protocol has become stricter to ensure the safety of the officer as Mayor Edgardo Labella ordered that all detainees be isolated and swabbed prior to being jailed with the rest of the detainees.
Ligan said the protocol worked as the transmission was limited ever since.
The CCPO director also said all police stations improved their health safety measures as every station now has a defogging chamber, a handwashing station, and social distancing is being practiced as much as possible.
“Most importantly, our police force is now educated,” said Ligan.
In total, there were 113 personnel of the CCPO who were infected with the disease. All of them have recovered while one is set to finish his isolation in the next few days. /bmjo
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