A police lieutenant assigned in Southern Leyte has died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), adding to the growing list of police personnel who succumbed to the respiratory ailment, the Philippine National Police (PNP) disclosed Friday, July 2.
PNP Chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the 48-year-old cop, whose identity was withheld, died at a hospital at around 11 p.m. last June 30 while awaiting transfer to a better equipped medical facility.
"His family planned to transfer him to another hospital in Ormoc or Tacloban City. Unfortunately, all hospitals contacted were at full capacity," Eleazar said.
The infected cop tested positive for COVID-19 on June 27, just four days after he exhibited flu-like symptoms. He apparently underwent community immersion for the Investigation Officers Basic Course (IOBC).
According to the PNP Health Service, the police lieutenant died of COVID-19 with severe pneumonia.
"Nakausap na po natin ang hepe ng naturang pulis at ipinagbilin na tulungan ang kaniyang pamilya sa anumang kanilang pangangailangan (We already talked to the chief of the said police officer and we instructed to give the victim's family whatever assistance they need)," Eleazar said.
Meanwhile, 156 new cases among police personnel were recorded by the PNP on Friday, raising the total number of confirmed infections to 28,118.
There were also 152 new recoveries, which brought the total number of COVID-surviving cops to 26,315.
The total of active cases in the police force is 1,728.
Eleazar reiterated his call on all PNP personnel to have themselves vaccinated to get an extra layer of protection against COVID-19.
He said that total of 52,962 PNP personnel (18.04 percent) have already been vaccinated against COVID-19
A total of 39,477 cops have received their first dose while 13,485 have been fully vaccinated. Most of the inoculated are personnel with frontliner duties.