32 Bilibid inmates beat COVID-19

VIRUS-FREE Inmates who recovered from the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) express their gratitude to front-liners and the agencies that took care of them as they leave Site Harry, the quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients at the New Bilibid Prison, on Wednesday. —PHOTO courtesy of BUCOR PIO

More inmates at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City have recovered from the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), according to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

In a report on Wednesday night, the BuCor said 32 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) were released from Site Harry, the national penitentiary’s quarantine center, and returned to the prison proper after they tested negative twice for the contagious disease.

On the other hand, 30 BuCor personnel who were found positive for COVID-19 but showed no or only mild symptoms were moved to the mega quarantine facilities either at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, or in Pasay City. As of Thursday, the BuCor said there were 92 inmates who had recovered from COVID-19—almost triple the 31 PDLs it reported last week.

Aggressive treatment

“These recoveries come as the BuCor administration continues its aggressive push to screen, sanitize, isolate and treat the illness across the whole prison facilities,” it stressed, adding that swab tests were also continuously being conducted among inmates and personnel at the NBP and the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City. The BuCor did not disclose the number of inmates and bureau personnel it had tested, as well as the updated number of its confirmed cases.

But of the seven prisons and penal institutions under its jurisdiction, confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported only at the NBP and CIW.

Based on its last update on June 2 through the Department of Justice, the BuCor recorded a total of 270 confirmed COVID-19 cases—up by 76 from its previous report of 194 on May 25.

Of the positive cases, 48 were BuCor personnel while the remaining 222 were inmates, 10 of whom had died.