Angeles City—About 22 rookie policemen undergoing on-the-job training with the Angeles City Police Office since the start of quarantine have been infected with the deadly coronavirus, highly placed sources at the City Hall revealed to the Standard.
The source, who declined to be named for not being authorized to talk to the media, said Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin quickly instructed the City Health Office to conduct massive rapid testing in all police precincts, including the Angeles City Police Office (ACPO) headquarters.
ACPO has more than 500 personnel, excluding civilians or non-uniformed employees, spread across six police stations and precincts around the city.
Before this, Angeles City had 23 confirmed cases and 11 recoveries, Department of Health data showed.
“A total of six teams have been formed to speed up the testing among police personnel of ACPO,” said Lazatin, as he stressed the need for immediate contact tracing to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 disease.
Lazatin said all personnel of ACPO were confined to their respective police stations and headquarters while the rapid test is being undertaken to ensure their safety.
The infected cops are under the supervision of the Regional Special Training Unit 3 (RSTU3) of the PNP Training Services under Police Col. Frederick Ogar, stationed at Clark Freeport Zone.
Five of the rookie cops who tested positive for the coronavirus are deployed at the Mabalacat City police station and were pulled out of their respective posts for treatment.
The Standard source said all infected policemen were brought to the ASEAN Convention Center, where they will be treated and monitored.
Police personnel and staff of RSTU3 will also be subjected to rapid testing.
This follows a report on Wednesday that a vendor at the public market in Barangay Pampanga reportedly died of COVID-19.