161 inmates has COVID-19; 6 die–BuCor

The New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City has reported 108 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 82 of them among inmates and 26 Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) personnel. The Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong, meanwhile, has 84 confirmed cases consisting of 79 inmates and five personnel. Three inmates each from NBP and CIW have died, while eight others have recovered, as did three BuCor personnel, according to Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete, citing a BuCor report. At the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City, 19 inmates are considered suspect cases, Perete added. A second batch of 1,500 rapid test kits will be delivered to the facility, as well as laptops from the European Union’s Gojust program, to provide inmates and their families a way to communicate under the E-Dalaw program while Bucor remains on lockdown. – Dexter Cabalza