517 prisoners test positive for coronavirus

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 517 prisoners from 10 different jail facilities have contracted the novel coronavirus, President Rodrigo Duterte said in his 9th report to Congress on the use of his additional powers to address the COVID-19 crisis.

“The PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) who have been found positive are currently being treated in various isolation facilities established by the BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology),” Duterte said in his report made public Monday evening.

The BJMP, according to Duterte, was also able to detect 703 suspected COVID-19 cases and 86 probable cases of coronavirus infection.

Meanwhile, 144 PDLs have been released by the Board of Pardons and Parole as of May 15 in a bid to decongest detention facilities nationwide amid the threat of COVID-19.

The President likewise bared that 53 elderly PDLs have been released from detention by a court order, 31 of whom are non-recidivists, while 21 have pre-existing medical conditions.

He added that the BJMP had intensified contact tracing in jails that have confirmed COVID-19 cases. He did not say which jails have recorded COVID-19 cases.

In Cebu City jail facilities, the BJMP has gathered swab samples of prisoners and personnel, established isolation centers and intensified contact tracing, according to Duterte.

To date, there are 14,319 confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide, 3,323 recoveries, and 873 deaths.