By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Personnel of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) remains free from the infection of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, public information officer of BCPO, said only 17 policemen, who were part of the contract tracing team, were previously swabbed and tested negative of the virus.

Pico said these policemen were subjected to the swab tests because they were considered high-risk personnel who might be exposed to areas where COVID-19 cases were reported.

The BCPO has more than 600 officers and most of them were fit to work amid the pandemic since their deployment in border control points and checkpoint when the city started to be placed under community quarantine in March, he said.

Pico said the BCPO has prepared the chapel and their new building at the headquarters as isolation areas in case any personnel might manifest flu-like symptoms.

All 10 station commanders were advised to have an isolation room in their respective areas to be utilized in case one of their personnel might also exhibit symptoms of COVID-19.

Last month, a personnel of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) tested positive for COVID-19 while he was assigned to one of the hotels used as a quarantine center here, but he had already recovered from the infection.