82 QCPD Station 3 cops test positive for COVID-19

At least 82 personnel at the Police Station 3 of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a report by Allan Gatus on Super Radyo dzBB on Wednesday.

Out of the 161 cops who had undergone testing, 82 tested positive while 79 have negative results.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the city’s Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU) reported that police officers were tested on July 23.

Belmonte also said the transmission was not related to the policemen's duty during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, July 26.

"Matagal na silang na-swab, so walang kinalaman ito sa SONA," she said.

Citing the CESU report, Belmonte speculated that the infection was due to the station’s poor compliance of health standards. "It's just a matter of loose health standards."

The infected cops were assigned to Police Station 3 (Talipapa), Police Community Precinct 1 (Unang Sigaw), and Police Community Precinct 2 (Bahay Toro), the city government said in a statement.

Belmonte added that the police personnel were already vaccinated.

Authorities already brought the first batch of infected cops to an isolation facility, while the rest are still being processed as their results just came out.

CESU Chief Dr. Rolando Cruz said 48 positive cases were already admitted to several HOPE facilities on Tuesday night. The other 34 are set to be admitted on Wednesday.

“The first 48 positive cases were already admitted to several of our HOPE facilities last night, July 27. The other 34 will be admitted today,” he said in a statement.

All the infected police officers in Police Station 3 were asymptomatic, Cruz added.

Police Station 3 commander Lieutenant Colonel Cristine Tabdi said the station will remain operational to receive reports or complaints in an outdoor receiving area.

However, the station is now restricted to the public and visitation is also prohibited.

The city government said the QCPD is verifying if any of the infected cops were deployed for the security of the SONA, noting  that all persons awaiting results must undergo mandatory quarantine and any violation of this protocol is subject to the provisions set in Republic Act 11332.

Belmonte instructed all 16 station commanders to ensure that minimum health protocols are observed.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 1,562,420 on Tuesday with 7,186 new infections, the highest daily infection recorded since June 13.

The Department of Health also announced that total recoveries climbed to 1,478,625 after 5,672 more patients recovered from the illness while 72 new fatalities brought the death toll to 27,318. —LBG/KG, GMA News