Some 22 policemen who augmented the Angeles City Police Office and Mabalacat Police have contracted COVID-19 and now being treated inside the Clark Freeport Zone.
This as another 33 policemen from Bacolor town were swab tested after one of them had been exposed to a relative.
The Bacolor cops were isolated in a quarantine facility pending the result of the swab tests, according to Col. Jean Fajardo of the Pampanga Provincial Police.
19 of the 22 cops who tested positive of the coronavirus were assigned in Angeles City while the remaining three were assigned in nearby Mabalacat City. All of them are rookie policemen who are currently on-the-job trainees. They were taken to the ASEAN Convention Center, a DOH-accredited facility inside Clark Freeport.
Angeles Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. said contact tracing is now being done to contain spread of the disease.
A day before the policemen tested positive for COVID, a 21-yr old vendor at Pampang Public Market died on Tuesday. His result which came out on Wednesday indicated he was COVID positive.
City government authorities have already conducted rapid testing of stall owners at Pampanga Market which was also subjected to disinfection.
Angeles residents are now buying food supplies at San Nicolas Public Market.