BJMP: 94.81% of PDLs vaccinated vs. COVID-19; only one active case now

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) announced on Sunday that 119,070 or 94.81% of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and of this number, 95,813 are already fully vaccinated.

In a virtual press conference, BJMP spokesperson Chief Inspector Xavier Solda said that this percentage was from the 125,589 PDLs that are under their care.

He said they are targeting to vaccinate all PDLs by year end, as mentioned by BJMP chief Jail Director Allan Iral.

“The strict observance of health protocols and the immediate creation of Ligtas COVID Centers to isolate PDL with COVID-like symptoms helped us a lot in our COVID-19 management,” Solda said.

He added that it has been the 8th consecutive day that the BJMP has not recorded any new case and there is only one COVID-19 case currently among PDLs staying at the Ligtas COVID center in Payatas, Quezon City.

Solda said that according to the doctor, this PDL will finish his or her mandatory quarantine by December 10. If the BJMP still reports no new cases by that time, it will then consider itself as a zero COVID facility.

“Despite these significant improvements in our COVID-19 management in jails, patuloy pa rin po kaming maghihigpit sa aming mga health and security protocols sa jails. Patuloy pa rin po kaming magsisipag sa pagbabantay ng aming mga pasilidad at magmamalasakit para sa kapakanan ng aming mga PDL,” Solda said.

(Despite these significant improvements in our COVID-19 management in jails, we will still continue to strengthen our health and security protocols in jails. We will also continue to monitor our facilities and care for the health of the PDLs.)

The government said on Thursday that it has allocated at least 30,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to PDLs under the custody of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) which will then provide its own vaccinators.

Solda said they have not received any reports so far of a PDL who does not want to get vaccinated.

“In fact, naa-appreciate nila na ‘yung efforts na ginagawa ng BJMP para makipag-communicate sa national COVID-19 vaccine operations center at sa mga local executives natin na makasama sila sa bakunahan,” he said.

(In fact, our PDLs appreciate BJMP's efforts to communicate to the national COVID-19 vaccine operations center and to the local executives so they could get vaccinated.)

Booster shots

Further, Solda said that the 95,813 fully vaccinated PDLs can avail of the COVID-19 booster shots given they have completed the six-month requirement.

“Wala pa tayong eksaktong datos talaga kung ilan na ‘yung pwedeng magpa-booster shot sa kanila. Pero sa kasalukuyan, nagsimula na ‘yung ilang pasilidad namin para sa booster shot,” he said.

(We don’t have exact data yet as to how many can already avail of the boosters. But right now, our other facilities have started administering the booster shots.)

He noted that the Bocaue Municipal Jail, which was their first facility to fully vaccinate its PDLs, has administered about 105 booster shots to PDLs.

The BJMP has recorded a total of 4,672 cases among PDLs since March 2020. Of this number, 4,552 have fully recovered. Fifty PDLs with comorbidities died from the virus.

The BJMP thanked the Department of Health, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, local government executives and their respective health units, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the European Union and its GoJust Project for their support and assistance. —KG, GMA News