COVID-19 deaths among PNP personnel in C. Luzon rise to 5

Officials of the Central Luzon police wear face masks and face shields during a recent ceremony at Camp Olivas in Pampanga. (File photo from the PRO3-PIO)

MABALACAT CITY, Pampanga – The death of a police officer in Tarlac province on Tuesday (May 18) raised to five the total number of police personnel in Central Luzon who died after contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The public information office of the Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) at Camp Olivas in the City of San Fernando in this province said the fifth fatality belonged to the La Paz Municipal Police.

As of May 19, at least 103 COVID-19 cases among the personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the region remained active, according to the PRO3 Health Service 3.

Five new cases of COVID-19 were also added to the list, bringing to 1,219 the total number of police personnel in Central Luzon who were infected with COVID-19.

There were also nine police personnel who recovered from the disease on the same day.

Of the total number of cases, 1,111 have recovered from the disease.

The surge in COVID-19 cases among Central Luzon police personnel started in the second week of March this year.

On March 21, PRO3 director Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon ordered the prohibition of personal visits at Camp Olivas and limited the number of persons conducting official businesses in the regional police headquarters due to the high number of policemen infected with COVID-19.

A day before his order, the number of Central Luzon policemen had reached 103.

In a statement sent to local media, De Leon said the police personnel who tested positive for COVID-19 had been placed on strict quarantine and monitoring.

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