PNP Chaplain Service member tests positive for COVID-19

A member of the Philippine National Police Chaplain Service has tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an official from the PNP General Hospital said Wednesday.

Police Major Duds Santos, point person of the PNP General Hospital, said the patient was confined at a private hospital.

"'Yung isang 'yun na nag-positive, nandoon na sa St. Luke's 'yun... nakalabas na siya ng ICU yesterday," Santos said.

Santos said the condition of the patient, who was confined at St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City, was already improving: "He was critical a few days ago, now wala na siya sa life support."

Meanwhile, Santos said there were seven personnel who had direct contact with the patient and all of them had undergone self-quarantine.

"We did the hundred percent contact tracing. All of them finished quarantine kasi noong March 8 pa 'yan, na-quarantine 'yan for 14 days. Tapos na 'yan noong March 22," he said.

615 PUMs, 45 PUIs

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, PNP chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa said the PNP Health Service is constantly monitoring the condition of 615 PNP personnel who are considered as persons under monitoring (PUMs) and 45 others who are persons under investigation (PUIs).

Gamboa ensured that the PNP National Headquarters would always provide for the needs of all PNP personnel, especially when it comes to their health and safety.

"Be assured that I’m doing everything in my power to provide you with all necessary support and resources to ensure your health and safety as you do your job in the best way possible. I expect all leaders at all levels to do the same for all personnel under their command,” he said.

The PNP is now observing a biosafety plan in all its camps to contain the spread of COVID-19, according to Gamboa.

"There is always a probability that any police officer assigned in Luzon may contract the virus while performing his or her assigned duty," he said.

“We are instituting strict measures to prevent its spread among our back end and front line personnel, such as provision of minimum Personal Protective Equipment for all frontline personnel; continuous contact tracing and self-quarantine; stringent social distancing including maximum use of teleconferencing of key leaders,” he added. --KBK, GMA News