[ad_1]
GUARD. Baguio’s police force has been on the front lines of the battle against the pandemic since the city began closing its borders in February. PHOTO BY VINCENT CABREZA
BAGUIO CITY – More police-in-training tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) increasing the number of Baguio police affected to 124 as of Saturday, according to the city’s information office.
They are part of a contingent of 437 who were undergoing their mandatory field training program here when Luzon closed all borders.
Put to work, they have been part of Baguio’s front lines for the past six months, manning border checkpoints and barangay (village).
Around 32 more students were confirmed to have contracted the disease, adding to the 92 students who tested positive for COVID-19 before the end of September.
They have been isolated by the Baguio City Police Office.
The BCPO has yet to determine how a large number of trainees were contaminated. They all live in a building that serves as their dormitory, a few blocks from the Grotto of Lourdes.
The infection has reduced police personnel for the time being, Police Colonel Allen Rae Co said during a briefing on Sept. 30.
But he stressed that putting many of them in quarantine will not have any adverse impact on safety and visitor arrivals from Ilocos now that Baguio has reopened its borders to tourists.
The police apprentices are one of two outbreaks to hit the city last month, days before the ceremonial launch of the Ridge and Reef Travel Corridor. This initiative allows the residents of Baguio and four provinces of the Ilocos region exclusive access to the beaches and other entertainment venues within their territories.
The city’s total number of infections since the pandemic broke out surpassed the 1,000 mark, with 1,108 as of Saturday.
The city also recorded two deaths: a 33-year-old woman, who had other ailments, and a 68-year-old woman. They increased the number of deaths from COVID-19 to 16. VINCENT CABREZA
CFC
For more news on the new coronavirus, click here.
What you need to know about the coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
The Inquirer Foundation supports our leaders in healthcare and still accepts cash donations to be deposited into the Banco de Oro (BDO) checking account # 007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link .
Read next
EDITOR’S SELECTION
MOST READ
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
