Zumarraga police force
TACLOBAN CITY- The entire police force of a town in Samar province are under quarantine after they were exposed to an inmate who was confirmed to have the coronavirus.
Police Lt. Reynato Gerona, police chief of Zumarraga town, said that he and his 16 subordinates and four non-uniformed personnel, are now at their station for a quarantine.
Last June 14, he and his four men went to Caloocan City to pick up a 50-year old man, suspected for a rape charge last year, arrested by the elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in the said city.
The suspect obtained a medical certificate from the Caloocan Medical Center that he was physically fit, Gerona said, adding that it did not state whether he was positive of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).
On June 17, as part of the procedure, the suspect was swabbed and on June 24, the result was released which turned out to be positive.
“We had our rapid test last June 16 which turned out to be negative and we are scheduled for our swab test this week. But we are all okay. We are not showing any of the symptoms. Hopefully, the result would turn out to be negative,” Gerona, in a phone interview, said.
The inmate who is positive of COVID-19, is also not showing any symptoms, the town police chief, adding that every now and then, his cell is being disinfected.
Gerona said that despite that they are all in quarantine, the peace and order of the town is not affected.
“We have asked help from our barangay tanods to help us maintain our peace and order. So far, everything’s okay here in Zumarraga. We are peaceful here,” he said.
the town police chief added that they are thankful for the total support being extended to them by Mayor Myrna Tan.
Mayor Tan earlier placed the town poblacion under enhanced community quarantine as part of the contact tracing and ensure that the virus would not spread in the town of close to 17,000 people.
The town has a total of four COVID-19 confirmed cases.
Mayor Tan also issued an appeal to the residents who want to return to the town to defer it for the meantime.
“Please don’t take it as we are denying your right to return here in Zumarraga. This is for the good of the majority of our people here,” the town mayor said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
