Frontline duties for policemen against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue to take their toll in the Philippine National Police (PNP) as 45 more cops have been infected by the virus, raising fears that the infection would eventually sap the strength of the organization which takes the lead in the enforcement of quarantine rules.
The total number of infected policemen is now at 754, with 677 others classified as possible COVID-19 cases while 1,162 more were considered as suspected coronavirus infection cases. Nine policemen also died of the COVID-19.
Once suspected or classified as possible coronavirus infection cases, policemen are no longer allowed to go on duty and are advised to undergo quarantine procedures.
The PNP has a strength of more or less 205,000 uniformed personnel and almost all of them are either assigned as frontliners via manning checkpoints and conducting community patrol, or in regular law enforcement functions of the police.
PNP chief General Archie Francisco Gamboa earlier said that more than 155 of those infected were already cleared to resume their duty after completing the medical requirements.
But in a statement of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), one of the 357 policemen who recovered from the COVID-19 tested positive anew.
Gamboa said they are now focusing their efforts on protecting their personnel from infection, starting with distribution of proper Personal Protective Equipment to police frontliners and setting up of testing facilities.
There is a testing facility at Camp Crame in Quezon City for Metro Manila-based policemen and nearby provinces and Gamboa said they are rushing the construction of another testing facility in Cebu. (Aaron Recuenco)