Negros cops await available vaccines from LGUs

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) here is waiting for available coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines from local government units (LGUs) to be administered to police officers.

Police Lieutenant Abegael Donasco, Nocppo information officer, said the vaccination of police personnel depends on the availability of the COVID-19 jabs in LGUs.

“Hindi kami nanghihingi,” she said in a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, adding that they are also coordinating with the LGUs.

As of Sunday, 830 uniformed and non-uniformed personnel in the province were already vaccinated out of the 2,246 total population of the provincial police force.

The vaccinated officers include 618 personnel from police stations, 100 from Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company, and 112 from Nocppo headquarters.

Vaccinated personnel in police stations included 5 each in Bago, La Carlota, Talisay, and E.B. Magalona; 16 in Cadiz; 61 in Escalante; 50 in Himamaylan; 19 in Kabankalan; 33 in Sagay, and San Enrique; 71 in San Carlos; 66 in Silay; 4 each in Sipalay, and Calatrava; 53 in Victorias; 21 in Binalbagan; 1 in Candoni; 2 each in Cauayan, and Hinigaran; 9 each in Hinoba-an, and Ilog; 14 in Isabela; 11 in Manapla; 18 in Moises Padilla; 35 in Murcia; 36 in Don Salvador Benedicto; and 23 in Toboso; and 7 in Valladolid.

244 personnel received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine while 372 got their first dose, and 214 received their second dose of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Sinovac vaccines.

Personnel in police stations of La Castellana, Pontevedra, and Pulupandan have yet to receive their COVID-19 jabs, out of the 31 stations in the province.

As one of the frontliners amid this pandemic, police are also vulnerable to the virus.

But Police Colonel Romy Palgue, Nocppo director, said in an earlier interview that the higher headquarters instructed them that they are not allowed to ask for COVID-19 vaccines.

“If the LGU will offer, then that’s the time that the police will be vaccinated,” he added.

Palgue said he has not received his COVID-19 jab yet because he still has an allergy.

Meanwhile, Nocppo has recorded 203 COVID-19 cases in its ranks, including nine active cases, one death, and 193 recoveries, as of August 2.