Two more Correctional inmates test positive for COVID-19

Two more inmates at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), bringing the reported case total among convicted prisoners to 22.

The two inmates were part of a previous batch tested at the same time but whose results were only released on Thursday, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said Friday.

They will be transferred to a quarantine facility at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City following strict health protocols, the BuCor said in a Facebook post.

No other prison and penal farm reported new COVID-19 cases, the bureau said.

"They are implementing strict security measures and disease prevention measures while also preparing their teams in case of COVID-19 infection occurs in their respective areas," the BuCor said.

The BuCor confirmed its first COVID-19 case last weekend, saying a 72-year-old inmate at the CIW had tested positive. Within a week, it has announced 18 more cases among CIW inmates and one among staff members, and one case at the Bilibid.

Several groups have called for the release of vulnerable prisoners amid the COVID-19 crisis. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has relaxed the rules in parole and executive clemency applications, aiming to process 200 applications per week in an effort to decrease prison populations.

The BuCor has nearly 50,000 prisoners across its seven facilities nationwide and a congestion rate of 314%. More than half of its population is at the NBP, a facility built for just over 6,000 inmates. Bilibid, the national penitentiary, has a congestion rate of 353%, according to January 2020 figures.

The DOJ said the Department of Health has committed an initial 10,000 test kits for the mass testing of inmates. -NB, GMA News