56 Cebu City village cops tested after 2 detainees confirmed to have COVID-19

CEBU CITY –– The Cebu City Health Department on Thursday started conducting swab testing for all police and staff members assigned at the police station in Barangay Sawang-Calero here.

At least 56 policemen and two non-uniformed personnel have been subjected to the Polymerase Chain Reaction test using swab specimens to determine if they were infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The police station was placed under lockdown after two of their detainees tested positive for the COVID-19.

The detainees arrested last April 12 were about to be transferred to the Cebu City Jail when they were found positive for the virus.

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, who was tasked to supervise the testing procedures, said the city government wants swab testing to be conducted to make sure that none of the policemen have contracted the virus.

If tested positive, the infected policeman would be quarantined.

While waiting for the results, the police officers and their staff were isolated inside the station and at an adjacent sports institute building in Barangay Sawang-Calero.

Tumulak, public safety committee chair, said that if residents covered by Station 6 would seek assistance, the Police’s City Mobile Force Company would be the ones to respond.

The 29 inmates inside the police station were already tested last Tuesday, May 5, Tumulak said.

The city was now awaiting results from the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for the tested detainees.

Brigadier-General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of the Central Visayas police, said they would augment the policemen in the areas covered by Station 6 from their reserved force.

They would also ask the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Central Command for additional help to secure the areas covered by Station 6.

LZB