313 PH Coast Guard personnel contract coronavirus

MANILA, Philippines — Three-hundred thirteen personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard have been infected with the novel coronavirus.

Out of the 313 affected personnel, 83 of them already tested negative for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) based on their latest swab test results, PCG commandant Vice Adm. George Ursabia Jr. said in a statement Thursday.

“We are blessed enough that the majority of our infected frontline workers are asymptomatic,” he said.

PCG personnel are working in the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are deployed to assist returning overseas Filipino workers, locally stranded individuals, as well as fishermen and other ship or cargo crew.

Ursabia has directed the PCG Task Force Bayanihan to ensure that the infected personnel are immediately pulled-out from their assignments and provided with medical assistance.

To ensure the health and safety of its personnel, the PCG regularly conducts RT-PCR tests among those in the frontline. They are also supplied with vitamins, PPE sets, and medical supplies for everyday use.

More importantly, the PCG said its personnel are provided with rest periods and work breaks, as well as debriefing sessions to sustain their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health while protecting the Filipino people against COVID-19.

As of Wednesday, the Philippines has 58,850 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 1,392 new infections.

/MUF