Following a thorough investigation, the Quezon City government has established that the 51 COVID-positive police officers from Police Station 3 (Talipapa) who were deployed during the State of the Nation Address event on July 26 were not in close contact with other individuals.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) and Police Station 3 Commander Lt. Col. Cristine Tabdi said the police officers were assigned as route security and did not directly engage with the public including rallyists.
Tabdi also said the operations of Station 3 and Police Community Precincts (PCP) 1 and 2 would not be halted, with an outdoor reception area set up to receive complaints.
Based on record, out of the 82 personnel from Station 3, PCP 1, and PCP 2 who tested positive, 74 are uniformed personnel, four are civilian employees, and four others are police aides. Also, 54 out of the 84 or 66 % are residents of Quezon City, while 34 % are not. Some 57 of them are also fully vaccinated, two received the first dose only, and 23 others are not yet vaccinated.
The 82 uniformed and non-uniformed personnel who were brought to the city’s Hope quarantine facilities will be temporarily replaced by 82 officers from Camp Karingal’s district mobile force battalion.
Meanwhile, the remaining 102 police officers and non-uniformed personnel in Station 3 are scheduled to undergo re-swabbing after a week.
Forty-two of them were identified as close contacts of positive cases and will be isolated at a quarantine facility in Camp Karingal while waiting to be swabbed.
The 60 others who were not exposed will continue to be on-duty at the station but won’t be allowed to leave or go home until their results are out.
“Ito ang paraan natin para masiguro na hindi kakalat ang virus. Nagpapasalamat tayo sa Quezon City government sa kanilang maagap na testing sa ating hanay at ang mabilis na pagtugon sa mga natuklasang kinapitan ng COVID-19,” said Col. Ferdinand Navarro, QCPD deputy director for administration.
The Quezon City government will provide food for around 220 persons under police custody (PUPC) in Station3, PCP1, and PCP2 for at least 10 days, as they won’t be allowed to receive visitors temporarily. The PUPCs shall likewise undergo contact tracing to determine possible exposure of their visitors.
Families or visitors of PUPCs are encouraged to avail of the electronic Dalaw (e-Dalaw) program.
The city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office will also conduct disinfection and decontamination procedures in the station and community precincts.
Mayor Joy Belmonte likewise ordered the immediate vaccination of the remaining 536 commissioned and non-commissioned police officers and non-uniformed personnel in the QCPD who were not inoculated because of vaccine hesitancy, medical reasons, or they were recently assigned to the district. (QC LGU) – jlo
