COVID-19 cases among BuCor inmates climb to 117

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has recorded 117 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and four deaths among inmates, the Department of Justice said Friday.

Citing figures from Thursday, Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said 40 of the patients are inmates at the New Bilibid Prison and 77 are from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW).

Three CIW inmates and one from Bilibid have died, Perete said.

On the other hand, at least nine inmates have recovered from the infectious disease. At least eight of them are persons deprived of liberty (PDL) from CIW.

Another four inmates have tested negative but are still waiting for the results of a second test to be counted among the recoveries, Perete said.

Meanwhile, COVID-19-positive CIW inmates who were transferred to a quarantine facility at Bilibid will be returned to Mandaluyong following the "augmentation of the quarantine facility" there, Perete said.

The BuCor has also recorded 31 suspected cases and 80 probable cases among the PDL population, the official said.

Just eight days ago, the BuCor reported that 53 inmates and five personnel have tested positive for COVID-19. At the time, the death toll was three.

The BuCor has not reported COVID-19 cases in any of its five other facilities across the country.

Several groups have called for the release of inmates who are elderly and have underlying medical conditions because they are more vulnerable to COVID-19. In response, the DOJ has simplified the requirements for applications for parole and executive clemency. —AOL, GMA News