By Jennifer P. Rendon
Police officers assigned to the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) headquarters in Camp Sumagaysay, Sta. Barbara town will undergo swab test after two newly assigned policemen tested positive for COVID-19.
Police Colonel Paul Kenneth Lucas, Iloilo police chief, said by undergoing reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) test, they will ascertain if there are police officers who were infected but asymptomatic (no symptoms).
For officers who will test positive, “at least they could be isolated or quarantined, thus preventing the spread of the virus.”
On July 12, 2020, Lucas said he received a call from the Department of Health confirming that two IPPO officers tested positive for the virus. They were part of the 91 new confirmed cases reported on Sunday.
The 40-year-old male patient allegedly came from Manila and arrived at Caticlan Jetty Port in Malay, Aklan on June 6. He used to be assigned to the Civil Security Group in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
He was with a group of seven police officers who arrived in Iloilo and subsequently went on home quarantine in Oton town when they arrived the following day.
Lucas said they used a house with no other occupants apart from them. Three days later, they received their order assigning them to IPPO.
On June 11, Oton local health officials conducted swab tests on the officers. The negative results were released a week after.
Lucas said the officers still completed their quarantine period until June 28.
On June 29, they reported to IPPO headquarters.
“As a matter of policy for newly-assigned policemen, they again underwent a swab test,” he said.
The swab was conducted on 32 newly assigned policemen, including a 35-year-old female who was previously assigned to the Regional Civil Service Unit in Camp Delgado.
Most of them, including the 40-year old male, went on quarantine facility in San Miguel town while the 35-year-old female went on home quarantine.
The policewoman shared a house with her two children and two other relatives.
When the result came out on July, the two officers tested positive for the virus.
“That’s why, it’s a puzzle where could he have contracted the virus because he was previously tested negative,” Lucas said.
Meanwhile, the IPPO chief had already talked to the concerned personnel and assured them of support from IPPO as they face this challenge.
He also enjoined all personnel and their families to stay calm and pray.
Lucas said they already started with the contract tracing.
