Fitness in the time of COVID-19: No more Zumba dancing for now, cops told

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has suspended for now its Zumba dance program at different police camps as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

It was not clear how long the stoppage of the Zumba dance program will take effect but PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said Wednesday that some police officers wanted it to continue on the condition that participants will enforce considerable distance from each other.

Gamboa said PNP is drafting protocols on the holding of the Zumba dance program in the time of COVID-19.

“We canceled all our major programs na magkakaroon ng marami[ng attendees] (where there will be a lot of attendees), even our ‘policethenics,’ even our Zumba every Tuesday and Thursday, i-discontinue muna namin (we discontinued it for the meantime),” PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said in an interview with reporters on Wednesday.

At Camp Crame in Quezon City, around 2,700 police officers participate in the exercise as part of PNP’s fitness program.

READ: Gamboa tells cops: Fix your weight or be denied schooling for promotion

Gamboa also said that even PNP personnel’s formation during the flag-raising ceremony at the main police camp every Monday will be adjusted.

Apart from this, the PNP chief said the institution will be observing basic preventive measures against COVID-19, including placing alcohol in its various offices.

On Tuesday, Gamboa approved the procurement of 300 protective gear for police officers who might need to attend to the health conditions of their colleagues who might undergo quarantine inside police camps.

Two police officers and two non-uniformed personnel of the National Capital Region Polic Office were earlier directed to undergo self-quarantine due to possible exposure to COVID-19.

READ: Sinas: 4 NCRPO personnel being monitored for possible COVID-19 exposure

KGA