COVID-19 breaches defenses of Fort Del Pilar

Fort Gregorio del Pilar, home of the Philippine Military Academy, has the most stringent COVID-19 protocol. It closed its doors as early as January to incoming visitors.

Its annual PMA alumni reunion last February was exclusively for members while the graduation last June was open for the cadets and PMA officials. No parents or relatives were allowed.

The reception also last June was exclusively for the incoming plebes who had to take their COVID-19 clearance earlier.

But it seems the virus has entered the hallowed halls of PMA.

Last December 31, the Baguio City Health Services Office released its daily COVID-19 monitoring bulletin and 13 were listed as coming from Fort del Pilar with ages ranging from 19 to 24 years old.

Another one was listed as 39 years old. All of them are male and all were part of expanded testing. Only the 39-year-old was part of the contact tracing.

Last January 1, there were an additional 24 residents of Fort del Pilar in the list of positive COVID-19 cases. Four were males whose ages were 30, 35, 42 and 59. The rest have ages ranging from 19 to 23 years old. Three are females with ages from 19 to 21.

The PMA has yet to issue an official statement whether those who contracted the disease were PMA cadets and where they were confined at the moment. – Rappler.com