ALERT VS. COVID-19. NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas (center), in a press briefing on Tuesday (March 10, 2020) says four of their personnel will undergo self-quarantine as part of measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Sinas, meanwhile, said each of the five NCRPO districts has a quick response team (QRT) that will assist the Department of Health in responding to possible Covid-19 cases. (PNA photo by Lloyd Caliwan)
MANILA – Four personnel of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) have undergone self-quarantine as part of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the country.
In a press briefing Tuesday, NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas said these include two non-uniformed personnel who recently traveled to Japan and two police officers, with the ranks of staff sergeant and lieutenant colonel.
“We have two non-uniformed personnel who arrived from Japan yesterday (Monday). They were directed to do self-quarantine. They will be monitored by our district health officer,” Sinas told reporters.
He said the police staff sergeant frequently visited a Muslim prayer hall in Greenhills in San Juan, the area which was regularly visited by the 62-year-old male Filipino who is the fifth confirmed case of the Covid-19 in the country.
Meanwhile, the police lieutenant colonel whose wife recently returned from Japan is under self-quarantine after experiencing sore throat and fever.
However, Sinas said the latter was diagnosed only with tonsillitis.
Sinas said the NCRPO has already traced those whom the four personnel had contact with.
He also ensured the public that each district of the NCRPO has a five-man quick response team (QRT) that will assist in the government's measure against the illness.
The five districts covered by the NCRPO are the Manila Police District (MPD), Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Northern Police District (NPD), Southern Police District (SPD), and Eastern Police District (EPD).
“Based on the coordination with the DOH (Department of Health), their (districts) teams are doing fine and everybody is cooperative so there is no direct participation yet from the NCRPO. However, we already directed all our district QRT and the chiefs of police to immediately assist the DOH once they call for help,” he said.
Sinas added that they may put up checkpoints in entry and exit points of major roads should Metro Manila be placed on lockdown due to the Covid-19 threat.
He added that the NCRPO will intensify the curfew to keep all students away from malls, movie houses, public markets and other crowded places to stop and contain the spread of Covid-19 in the communities.
Meanwhile, PNP General Hospital (GH) officer-in-charge, Maj. Duds Santos denied that a Covid-19 positive patient is undergoing treatment in the said facility.
“For now, nobody with flu-like symptoms is confined in the PNP GH. The patient who was admitted yesterday (Monday) just had a sore throat and based on laboratory results, it is only bacterial infection and not Covid-19. We also consulted with the DOH and they confirmed that it is not Covid-19,” he said in a media interview.
Santos also said parts of the hospital were cordoned-off as part of measures against Covid-19 as ordered by the DOH. (PNA)
