16 military frontliners quarantined at BRP Ang Pangulo

May 6, 2020

A presidential yacht used as quarantine facility for military frontliners infected with COVID-19 pandemic has 16 suspected cases.

Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas, Philippine Navy acting public affairs director said the 16 frontliners are quarantined at the BRP Ang Pangulo docked in Pier 13, South Harbor  while waiting for the results of their COVID-19 RT-PCR Test at the AFP General Hospital in Quezon City.

"This is in line with the AFP Commander-in-Chief, Rodrigo Roa Duterte's guidance to the Flag Officer In Command, Philippine Navy, Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo J Bacordo, to accommodate suspected and probable COVID-19 frontliners in the quarantine ship," she said.

Roxas said the medical staff of the ship will undergo quarantine for 14 days, after their seven-day rotation duty.

"To further prepare the ship's crew for this mission, the officers and men of BRP Ang Pangulo underwent a two-day training on Infection Prevention Control (IPC) and Patient Management last month while in Davao City under Southern Philippines Medical Center headed by Yvette Barez," she said.

"(The) team of experts also inspected the ship to check if the temporary medical facility is compliant to the standards on safety and IPC," she added. Robina Asido/DMS