QCPD headquarters placed on 3-day lockdown; 14 positive for COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) headquarters in Camp Karingal was placed under a three-day lockdown after 13 personnel and a soldier were found to be positive for  coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said that the test results were based on a target group testing conducted from April 25 to 29.

“Our most important resource against this battle is our human resource. Hence, we opt to implement all possible measures to ensure their safety and guarantee that they are in their optimum health condition as they go to the frontline to face the unseen deadly virus,” Sinas said in a statement on Monday.

The lockdown started at 5 p.m. on May 9 and will end on May 12, Maj. Britz Estadilla, NCRPO spokesperson, said in a text message to INQUIRER.net.

Sinas said the target group testing was conducted to a total of 219 out of the 1,563 personnel assigned at the camp. A total of 115 test results were already released. Another 104 personnel who went through the test are still awaiting results.

Of the personnel who tested positive for the virus, nine are commissioned officers and four are non-commissioned. The other infected individual is a soldier from the military’s Joint Task Force – National Capital Region.

Of the 13 personnel from QCPD, 10 are assigned at the district headquarters while three are assigned in QCPD police community precincts.

According to Sinas, the three-day camp-wide lockdown was necessary to facilitate contact tracing, monitoring of patients, decontamination of the camp, and other preventive measures.

On May 8, the number of confirmed COVID-19 among members of the police force was placed at 131, the Philippine National Police (PNP).

EDV