(Eagle News) — The Philippine National Police has reported its 73rd COVID-19 fatality as COVID-19 vaccination of PNP personnel continues in a bid to protect them from the virus.
In a statement, the PNP said the latest COVID-19 death was a 46-year-old police officer assigned in General Santos City.
It said on June 24, the police officer went to a nearby hospital due to difficulty of breathing and on and off fever.
The hospital conducted laboratory examinations including RT-PCR tests.
On June 25 at 4:20 a.m., however, he was declared dead by the attending physician.
The PNP said the police officer was immuno-compromise due to hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia.
Meanwhile, 90 more COVID-19 cases have been reported among PNP personnel, pushing the PNP COVID-19 total to 27544.
Of these, 1767 were active.
Recoveries also rose to 25704 including the 85 additional ones.
Only recently, PNP Chief Guillermo Eleazar received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in a ceremonial inoculation of members of the A4 category, including policemen, in Camp Crame.
“Huwag na po tayong mamili. Ang tanging piliin lang natin ay ang maging protektado (Let’s no longer pick vaccine brands. Let’s choose to be protected instead). The best vaccines are the ones that are already available to us. Let us all contribute to attaining herd immunity for everyone’s safety,” Eleazar had said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has said the police and the military should be among the priorities in the country’s COVID-19 vaccination, which kicked off in March.