GRIPPED BY COVID-19: A total of 222 inmates or Persons Deprived of Liberty from the Bureau of Corrections are infected with COVID-19. PHOTO/BuCor PIO
MANILA, Philippines – A total of 222 inmates or Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) from the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) are infected with COVID-19.
Based on the BuCor report submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) has the most number of confirmed cases with 140 followed by the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong.
A total of 10 have died while 31 have recovered.
Justice Undersecretary and DOJ spokesperson Markk Perete said the five other penal institutions managed by BuCor have no reported cases.
PHOTO/BuCor PIO
Meanwhile, 30 employees from NBP are positive for COVID-19 while 18 are from CIW.
Perete said the DOJ turned over 1,400 rapid test kits to the BuCor last Monday to be used for testing of PDLs.
He said the European Union under the GoJust Program is also set to procure around 5,000 more rapid test kits in the coming weeks.