PNP prepares for worse case scenarios amid Delta variant threat
Amid confirmation of transmission and deaths from the Delta variant of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has started preparing for worse-case scenarios for its personnel, particularly those assigned in the frontline.
PNP chief General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar ordered said that he had already instructed the PNP's Administrative Support for COVID-19 Task Force (ASCOTF) to ensure adequate supplies of medical supplies and other medical equipment in all its medical and isolation facilities.
"Part of this order is to ensure that all the needed protective equipment and supplements are given to our personnel, especially those assigned to enforce the quarantine rules," said Eleazar.
In March this year, the medical and quarantine facilities for PNP personnel at Camp Crame in Quezon City were suddenly crowded due to a sudden high increase of those infected from the coronavirus.
This prompted Eleazar, then ASCOTF commander, and former PNP chief Debold Sinas to look for more buildings and facilities inside Camp that would be used as quarantine facilities.
At the same time, Eleazar said he also tasked all police commanders to coordinate with local government units for the strict implementation of rules against COVID-19, what with the confirmation of the Delta variant.
Health experts have been also advising the national government to prepare since the Delta variant is considered as more transmissible and was tagged as the reason of the severe wave of infection in India.
The serious COVID problems in Indonesia is also being attributed to the Delta variant. This prompted the Philippine government to include Indonesia in the list of countries with stricter travel restrictions.
Eleazar also stressed the need for everybody to cooperate on the observance of the minimum public health safety.