COVID-19 cases in BuCor rise to 301

The number of COVID-19 cases among the inmates and personnel of the Bureau of Corrections has risen to 301, the Department of Justice said Thursday.

A total of 223 inmates have been infected, and 16 have died, according to Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete, citing BuCor reports.

Most of the patients among inmates –141 of them – are from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, and 82 are from the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.

Meanwhile, 78 BuCor personnel have tested positive for coronavirus –38 from Bilibid, seven from the CIW, and 33 from the national headquarters.

A total of 145 have recovered, Perete said.

None of the five other penal farms and colonies run by the BuCor reported COVID-19 cases, he added.

According to Perete, the BuCor had not reported any new case until June 15.

He said the BuCor continues its testing and contact tracing efforts, while awaiting 5,000 rapid test kits from the GoJust Programme.

Likewise, he said, the bureau is augmenting its medical and health personnel in the affected sites.

A group of families of political prisoners recently criticized the BuCor for its alleged failure to inform the relatives of inmates found positive for COVID-19 about the condition of their loved ones.

A BuCor official claimed that in cases of death, they immediately contact the relatives of the inmate as soon as the death certificate becomes available, but said they have had difficulty reaching some of them. —LBG, GMA News