Sinas back to work after 14-day quarantine

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas returned to work yesterday after completing the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Sinas tested positive for COVID-19 when he visited the Mimaropa police in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro on March 11.

He was discharged yesterday from the Kiangan billeting center, the PNP’s isolation facility at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

“He has resumed command of the national police. He is already at the White House,” a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity said in a phone interview, referring to the official residence of the PNP chief.

During a meeting of the government’s pandemic task force on Wednesday, Sinas said the PNP recorded more than 1.5 million violations of health protocols nationwide from Aug. 20 last year to March 23.

Among the violations were non-wearing of face masks, holding of mass gatherings and failure to observe physical distancing measures.

PNP isolation sites 72% occupied

Quarantine facilities of the PNP in Metro Manila are 72 percent
occupied.

PNP data showed that of the 475 beds set aside for COVID-19
patients, 343 or 72.21 percent are occupied.

The PNP’s 55-bed isolation center at Camp Crame is also fully occupied.

PNP deputy chief for administration Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said 134 of the 292 beds for suspected and probable cases have patients, for an occupancy rate of 45.89 percent.

Eleazar said they are looking for other buildings at Camp Crame to accommodate more patients.

“We are identifying buildings and other facilities inside thenational headquarters that would be used as additional quarantine
facilities for our personnel,” he said.

The PNP has 11 quarantine facilities in Metro Manila.

Nationwide, the PNP’s isolation sites have an occupancy rate of 49.21 percent.

The PNP recorded 229 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, the highest
daily infections since last year. Of the number, 42 are from Metro Manila.

A total of 13,666 PNP members  have contracted COVID since last year.
Thirty-six died while 11,981 have recovered from the disease.

The remaining 1,649 police personnel are still recuperating either in hospitals or quarantine facilities. – Alexis Romero