Cops had no direct contact with COVID patient involved in road crash

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, spokesperson of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), said yesterday that not one officer had close contact with a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient, who figured in a multiple car accident along San Sebastian-Lacson Streets in Barangay 32 here last Wednesday.

Pico said personnel of Police Station 1 responded to the accident, but rescuers, who were equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) handled the COVID patient, and the three other victims on board an ambulance.

“Kami (police) nag traffic and nag cordon lang kami sang area,” he added.

The accident claimed the life of an ambulance driver, and injured three others, including the COVID patient.

The accident happened when a sports utility vehicle crashed into the ambulance, causing the latter to also collide with a canter truck.

The SUV driver identified as 21-year-old Kenny Arillo of Barangay Alijis here was already released from police custody on Thursday morning. A settlement was scheduled yesterday afternoon between the driver and the victims’ families.

Pico said they are also being careful amid the pandemic.

He said that BCPO has no COVID cases as of press time.

Major Jovil Sedel, Police Station 1 commander, said police officers did not come in close contact with the COVID patient. Instead, they helped transport the ambulance driver to a hospital on board their patrol vehicle.

Sedel said the police officers who responded to the scene are doing fine.

Meanwhile, Executive Assistant Jomarie Vargas, cluster head of City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), told Aksyon Radyo Bacolod that their personnel and Amity volunteers handled the victims in the accident.

But he said he will inform the members of the Bacolod Emergency Operations Center task force about it to determine the necessary steps on contact tracing, considering that there were many people in the scene.