MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Corrections on Friday reported two new COVID-19 infections in the Correctional Institution for Women, bringing the tally at the women’s prison to 22.
“While BuCor medical staff are providing focused medical care to all suspect PDLs and to those found positive, we have received a report today that two more CIW PDL patients earlier tested for COVID-19 turned out positive,” the Bureau said in a statement.
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There are now 21 CIW inmates and one medical staff that have contracted the coronavirus disease.
BuCor said that two PDLs were part of the earlier batch of inmates who underwent COVID-19 testing, but results were released only on Thursday.
Earlier this week, the bureau said 42 inmates and nine medical staff were traced to have had contact with the first confirmed case and were subjected to a COVID-19 test.
January 2020 data from BuCor showed that there are currently 3,422 inmates at the CIW that has capacity for 1,008 people. The bureau recorded 340% occupancy rate and 240% congestion rate in this facility.
Transfer to Bilibid quarantine facility opposed
BuCor said that two new COVID-19 patients will be brought to the Bilibid quarantine area, Site Harry, where other confirmed cases from CIW are isolated.
Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete told reporters Thursday that the quarantine site at the Bilibid has 300 beds, but the DOJ is “coordinating with the [Department of Public Works and Highways] for the construction of bigger quarantine area just in case there is a need for it.”
The city government of Muntinlupa strongly opposed the transfer of confirmed COVID-19 patients to a facility in their locality.
The council of Muntinlupa City on Friday issued a resolution saying that the transfer was done without prior consultation with their local government. They added that Rep. Rufino Biazon (Muntinlupa) wrote to peace adviser Carlito Galvez, chief implementor of the National Action Plan on COVID-19, raising the point that the transfer is risky.
Perete earlier told reporters that BuCor officials’ attempt to inform city government of the transfer failed “as the relevant local official could not be reached.”
“In any event, we like [to] assure the local government of Muntinlupa and the city residents that all precautions and protocols were complied with in the transportation of individuals from CIW,” the DOJ spokesperson said.
He added that the construction of the quarantine facility complied with the World Health Organization and Department of Health standards.
“We therefore solicit their utmost understand and help to minimize the risk of infection in all communities, including the communities in our penal farms and colonies,” Perete added.
BuCor on Thursday confirmed its first COVID-19 case in the national penitentiary. The inmate was housed in the medium security compound that he shares with 8,045 other PDLs, based on the bureau's January 2020 data.
Calls for the release of vulnerable PDLs in our overcrowded jails and penal facilities in the time of COVID-19 pandemic continue to mount. A group of inmates sought issuance of an order allowing their temporary release from the Supreme Court, citing possible staggering number of coronavirus infection that could be recorded in our overcrowded prisons.