97 Calabarzon cops test positive for COVID-19

The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continued to spread across Antipolo City, Rizal, still with the highest number of infection among towns and cities in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region, prompting the city government to shut down the police station and a local government office.

The Calabarzon police said 97 policemen in the region tested positive for the virus, of which 13 were assigned to Antipolo City, which lies on the fringes of Metro Manila. Twenty policemen in the region were waiting for their test results as of July 21.

The Antipolo government also locked down until July 29 the city veterinary office after staff members were exposed to the virus.

HEALTH PROTOCOL The Antipolo City police station in Rizal province will be closed for a week after several policemen tested positive for COVID-19. The city police’s public transactions will be suspended to give way to the cleanup and disinfection of the station, following health protocols against the spread of the disease. —RICHARD A. REYES

‘Semilockdown’

Col. Joseph Arguelles, Rizal provincial police director, said the Antipolo station would continue “functioning,” but it would suspend public transactions, like the issuance of police clearance and travel authority, as well as jail visitation.

Ongoing investigations and cases involving women and children will have to be referred to the provincial police headquarters, he said.

The weeklong lockdown would also give way to the disinfection of the police station.

Arguelles said one of the Antipolo policemen was in a hospital, while the rest were on home quarantine.

The virus, he said, did not affect the detainees in police cells.

In Pililia, Rizal, Arguelles said the police station was placed under a “semilockdown,” limiting face-to-face transactions after some policemen also tested positive for COVID-19.

“We think it’s because of the people going in and out [of the stations]. That’s why I also ordered all stations [in Rizal] to install plastic sheet covers and strictly observe social distancing,” he said.

Antipolo recorded 519 cases, of which 45 had died, according to city government data as of July 21.

In Quezon, at least 107 of 350 newly recruited policemen from Metro Manila turned out positive for COVID-19 upon reporting to a training camp in Lucena City early this month, said Ronald Banzuela, National Police Commission provincial director.

“[The trainees] were tested and we got the results last Monday. They were isolated in a facility inside the camp,” Banzuela added.

—Maricar Cinco