THE Toril Police Station has been locked down after 30 of its inmates tested positive for the novel coronavirus, said Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Director Colonel Kirby John Kraft.
DCPO spokesperson Police Captain Rosario Aguilar said they will abide by the protocol implemented by the Department of Health (DOH) in Davao Region.
On Tuesday evening, October 6, City Health Officer (CHO) Dr. Josephine Villafuerte confirmed the report when interviewed by some members of the media.
It was learned that on October 1, a total of 32 cell inmates at Toril Police Station were scheduled to be transferred to the Davao City Jail in Barangay Maa.
Before they can be transferred, they had to follow protocols, such as submitting negative results of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. They were swabbed on that same day at the Sta. Ana Testing Center.
Their results were released on the following day and 30 of them tested positive for Sars-CoV-2.
The 30 inmates were returned to the Toril Police Station where they have been quarantined. Contact tracing has been conducted to look for persons who have been at the police station in the previous days.
“Gipang-quarantine na sila, ug ginasunod nato karon ang istriktong health protocols nga ginapatuman sa quarantine alang sa atong mga detainees (they are now under quarantine and we are following strict health protocols for our detainees),” Police Major Michael Uyanguren, acting station commander of Toril Police Station, said in an interview with Superbalita Davao on October 7.
After 14 days, all of them will be swabbed again and those who will be found to be negative for the virus will be transferred to the Davao City Jail, which is their custodial facility while their cases are heard at the court.
DCPO is requesting relatives and friends of the inmates who have visited them in the previous days to follow strict health protocols and undergo self-quarantine.
If ever they notice symptoms of Covid-19, they must report immediately to their respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Team to monitor their health status.
In a separate phone interview, Aguilar said they are still awaiting the report from CHO for further information regarding the condition of the detainees and their personnel in charge.
But based on reports they received, no police officers manifested any Covid-19-related symptoms and 85 percent of their personnel at the Toril Police Station are still on duty.
Aguilar said they will request for a second batch of swab testing to 13 personnel, who are currently under lockdown within the police station.
“Naa lang ta gi-implement nga pamaagi, wherein di na nato ipasulod ang mga tao nga naa transaction sulod sa prisohan. (We implemented some measures wherein transactions will not be made inside the police station.) We will allocate a space outside the police station wherein didtoa nalang muadto ang mga buot magreklamo o naay tuyo (where the public can go to file complaints or for their inquiries),” Aguilar said.
The DCPO spokesperson said health protocols in all of its police stations are in place.
She said they are adopting Executive Order (EO) No. 37 issued by the Davao City Government, wherein jails and rehabilitation centers in the city have mechanics to prevent Covid-19 transmission within prison cells.
According to the EO, it prohibits the admission of Covid-19 positive persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) or children in conflict with the law (CICLs) to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the City Government-run rehabilitation centers-the Davao City Treatment and Rehabilitation, Bahay Pag-asa, Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth Balay Sidlakan, and the Group Home for Girls.
Before the admission of the PDLs or CICLs, a certification from the DOH or CHO that they are Covid-free must be required.
If suspected to have Covid-19, they will be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine while those tested positive will be admitted to the Southern Philippines Medical Center.
Aguilar said they have suspended personal visits since the pandemic hit the city in March this year.
She added they are constantly checking the health condition of their personnel from time-to-time.