MANILA, Philippines — At least 117 prison inmates have tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) reported yesterday.
There are 40 cases in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and 77 from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) – most of them asymptomatic – as of Thursday, BuCor spokesman Gabriel Chaclag said. He added that all the NBP cases are from the medium security compound.
The other five prisons run by BuCor are still free of COVID-19, according to Chaclag.
Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said yesterday the two prisons also recorded 80 probable cases and 31 suspected cases among the inmates. Among BuCor personnel, six tested positive for COVID-19.
Data released last week showed that the NBP had four cases and the CIW 49 cases.