More vaccines sought for Cagayan De Oro inmates

ILIGAN CITY—Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar S. Moreno has asked the Department of Health (DOH) to allocate additional vaccines for inmates of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

The additional supply could inoculate at least 3,000 inmates in Barangay Lumbia, Moreno said.

From Aug. 2 to 4, health authorities administered COVID-19 vaccines to inmates. The City Health Office said the drive was able to cover 1,691 inmates.

In previous months, the jail in Lumbia saw several outbreaks of COVID-19 infections. The virus was brought into the facility mostly by newly committed inmates from cramped police detention facilities.

Because of the experience, new inmates have since been required to stay first in a holding area, a building constructed by the local government for testing.

Those whose samples returned with negative results are allowed to join others in their assigned cells, while the infected are brought to isolation facilities run by the local government.

If fully vaccinated, jail officials would worry less about the spread of COVID-19 inside the facility, Moreno said.

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