Calapan City police station on lockdown; 7 COVID cases logged
CITY OF CALAPAN — This city’s police station was placed on lockdown since Saturday, August 8, after seven persons – a jail inmate, a civilian employee, four police trainees and a female police officer – tested positive for the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Calapan Mayor Arnan Panaligan said while the police station is on lockdown and being decontaminated, complaints or requests for police assistance will be accommodated in a tent in front of the station.
“That (lockdown) is for 15 days. Police from other units will temporarily take over the operational functions of the city police,” said Panaligan.
Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor on Saturday evening announced that since all police personnel of Calapan station are temporarily on quarantine, the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Police Office will help supervise the peace and order situation in the city.
Latest cases
Panaligan on Sunday said that six of the patients were immediately transferred to the City Quarantine and Isolation Unit (CQIU).
The seventh patient, a 59-year-old male inmate from Barangay Balite was admitted to hospital.
The 29-year-old male civilian employee is from Barangay Lalud while the four male trainees are from Barangay Guinobatan,
The policewoman, 25, is from Barangay Salong.
Contact tracing is being undertaken by local health officials.
Strict quarantine rules
The whole city hall complex is under “limited lockdown status” because the CQIU is inside it. Departments will be operated by a skeleton force.
Meanwhile, business establishments in the city were advised to reduce their operating hours. Safety protocols will be checked by the city’s joint monitoring and inspection team.
Sports activities like biking for minors aged 20 and below and for senior citizens are prohibited until August 22.
Other government and private offices are encouraged to limit staff, deployment and if possible, employ a work from home arrangement, or work rotation scheme from August 10 to 17.
Consumption of alcoholic drinks will be limited to one’s residence and drunken drivers will be strictly dealt with, Panaligan warned.
“Let us act as if we are on voluntary ECQ (enhanced community quarantine),” said Panaligan. Calapan has been on modified general community quarantine since August 1.
As of August 8, 12 p.m., the city posted 36 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 20 of which are active.
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