New COVID-19 infections in PNP down to just 9, but another officer dies

LOOK: Members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) line up for swab specimen collection at the Caloocan City Hall on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, as mass testing continues to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.-INQUIRER/GRIG C.MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The COVID-19 infection count in the Philippine National Police (PNP) has significantly dropped, numbers shared by police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Wednesday showed.

According to Eleazar, the PNP’s Health Service only recorded nine new confirmed COVID-19 cases, while 29 more patients have recovered from the disease.  With the higher recovery count, active infections in the police service are now only at 261.

However, another police officer succumbed to the disease.  Eleazar identified the fatality as a 54-year-old senior officer assigned to a national support unit in the Bicol Region. The police officer tested positive for COVID-19 last November 1.

The officer died last Monday due to COVID-19 and hypertension.

“It is with a heavy heart that I express the deepest condolences of the PNP to the orphaned family of the PNP’s 125th COVID-19 fatality,” Eleazar said.

All in all, the PNP has recorded 42,047 confirmed cases.  The lower case count is also attributed to high vaccine rates within the police force, as 91.27 percent or 204,728 PNP personnel are fully vaccinated against the disease.

Around 7.50 percent or 16,833 personnel have already been given the first dose of the vaccine, leaving just 2,751 unvaccinated or 1.23 percent of the PNP’s entire personnel.

/MUF