PNP Opens COVID-19 Testing Center for Police Frontliners

Police frontliners can rest a little easier now, following the opening of a Philippine National Police-run (PNP) COVID-19 testing center for law enforcement personnel.

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing facility, which is accredited by the Department of Health, was opened earlier today in Camp Crame, Quezon City, and has a capacity of 150 confirmatory tests per day. Look:

According to PNP chief Archie Francisco Gamboa, the new facility comes as a response to the growing number of police personnel infected with COVID-19. He added that the center will also fast-track results from tests conducted on police officers from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and that a total of 13 personnel are assigned at the facility.

"We see it clearly, there is a need to have our own testing center as you can see that there is an increasing trend of COVID-19 cases among our police frontliners every day," Gamboa said.

The opening of the new testing facility comes on the same day four more police personnel tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. This brings the total figure of PNP infections to 281 individuals, with 117 recoveries and 160 other active cases.

For more of our stories on the ongoing crisis, click here. For the latest news and updates on COVID-19, check out reportr.world/covid-19.