Philippine National Police (PNP) has reported that 66 more police officers have recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total number of recoveries among its ranks to 7,536.
This brings down the number of active cases in the police force to 395, based on data released by the PNP Health Service on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, the PNP logged 66 new infections, bringing the total number of cases to 7,957.
The PNP’s COVID-19 death toll stands at 26. Meanwhile, PNP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that the police and the military would be prioritized in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Tama naman po ang sabi ng Presidente. Unahin po dapat ang mga front-line service providers, tulad po ng pulis at sundalo, kasi sila din po ang unang hahanapin ng mga mamamayan sa oras ng pangangailangan. Malaki po ang pasasalamat ng liderato ng PNP sa ating Pangulo,” Usana told reporters when sought for a comment.
Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said an estimated P20 billion would be spent to inoculate the priority population with COVID-19 vaccines, which includes the poorest of the poor, police, military, and health front-liners.
Over the weekend, PNP Chief, Gen. Debold Sinas, led the blessing and inauguration of the P10-million facility housing four swab booths and dedicated isolation rooms in Police Regional Office 7 (Central Visayas).
The facility, located within the compound of Camp Sotero Cabahug in Cebu City, will accommodate reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for police personnel and their dependents.
The PNP-funded laboratory started construction last June and is designed to process 300 to 400 swab samples per day.
Police officers who would be in charge of the facility would have to undergo training before operating the laboratory.
Last month, the PNP started the operation of its molecular laboratory at the PNP General Hospital to provide quality health care services among its personnel amid the pandemic.
In May, it also operated its own RT-PCR laboratory in Camp Crame. Philippine News Agency
