PNP says COVID-19 kills another officer; records 170 new cases

FILE PHOTO: Colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (greenish brown) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (pink), also known as novel coronavirus, isolated from a patient sample. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH/Handout via REUTERS.

MANILA, Philippines — Another officer succumbed to COVID-19, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday, and logged 170 more officers who contracted the virus.

With the new COVID-related death in the PNP, the number of fatalities currently stand at 64, while total infections are at 23,013 as of May 25.

According to PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, the 64th PNP fatality is a 44-year-old policeman assigned in Zamboanga.

The officer first tested positive on May 7, and was later transferred to intensive care on May 21, after experiencing difficulty in breathing.

He was then pronounced dead by his attending physician due to respiratory failure on May 24.

“Ako po ay personal na nakikiramay sa pamilya ng ating pulis na pumanaw dahil sa Covid-19. Kami ay nakikipagugnayan na sa pamilya ng pulis upang maipaabot ang anumang tulong na kailangan,” Eleazar said.

(I offer my condolences to the family of our police officer who passed away due to COVID-19. We are already in touch with the policeman’s family to extend any assistance needed.)

Of the total infections among the ranks of PNP, 1,550 remain active cases while its health service recorded 99 new recoveries, which brings total recoveries to 21,399.

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Meanwhile, the Department of Health said that the country’s total number of infections as of May 24, stands at 1,184,706 cases, with 48,917 active cases, and a death toll at 19,933.

JPV