MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police on Tuesday reminded its local ground units to be vigilant against parties and other super spreader events after a pool party was reported in Quezon City.
To recall, more than 50 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Quezon City after taking part in a pool party and drinking session in Brgy. Nagkaisang Nayon early this month.
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“I am reminding all our police commanders to be on alert and strictly monitor your areas of responsibility to prevent mass gatherings and ensure the observance of minimum public health safety standards,” Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said in a statement sent to reporters.
“Closely coordinate with your local government units, particularly the barangays, to effectively prevent any further mass gatherings and other quarantine violations. There shouldn't be any super spreader events that get past you in your areas of responsibility."
The PNP chief said that as many as 54 people were infected with COVID-19 in Quezon City due to the pool party. In an earlier statement, the city government said the effects of the superspreader event prompted another community lockdown, adding that the City Legal Department has been directed to probe the concerned barangay officials to find out if they failed to fulfill any responsibilities.
Under the omnibus guidelines of the coronavirus task force, parties and other mass gatherings are prohibited as they can cause rapid transmission of the coronavirus. Quarantine violators in government though, including former PNP chief Debold Sinas, have not received any penalties.
READ: Whatever happened to: Quarantine violators in Philippine government
Eleazar said that the public should not be complacent and lower their guard against COVID-19 even if there is a reduction on the rate of infection in Metro Manila.
“We sound like a broken record with our reminders but we will not tire of repeating our minimum public health safety protocols even if we have people who are deliberately stubborn. I would like to reiterate, mass gatherings are not possible even though Metro Manila is already at GCQ, ”he said.
"Even though the number of cases here in NCR is decreasing, it does not mean that we can be complacent because there is still the threat of COVID-19," he added.
To date, 1.18 million coronavirus infections have been reported in the Philippines, 48,917 of whom are still classified as active cases.
In Caloocan, local executives and a police commander have already been sacked after failing to enforce quarantine protocols at a resort that went viral on social media.
— Franco Luna