COVID mass testing at Cebu provincial jail

CEBU, Philippines —  With news of mass infections of the coronavirus disease in prisons, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced that strict preventive measures are now being instituted at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC).

Garcia, in one of her two online press briefings last Saturday, said swab tests are now conducted at the CPDRC. As of April 25, there are no recorded positive COVID-19 cases in the provincial jail.

"So far, in the CPDRC, or the Cebu Provincial Jail which is right across the street where the BBRC is located, thank God we have no such positive case. But, we are instituting very, very strict measures," Garcia said.

"Were doing swabbing, nag-swabbing tayo ngayon. Oral pharyngeal and nasal pharyngeal," she added.

The swabbing came after news of Cebu City Jail having 210 cases of COVID-19 positive as of yesterday.

To avoid the possible introduction of the virus in CPDRC, guards who live in barangays in Cebu City with COVID-19 cases are temporarily not allowed to report for work.

The rest of the security personnel will have to stay at the CPDRC. According to Garcia, they have already been assigned a lodging area in the facility.

"Ngayon pa lang, we have already segregated yung mga galing or are living in barangays in the City of Cebu which have positive cases. Hindi na natin pinapareport yun. Furthermore, yung mga guards ngayon na naka-assign sa CPDRC ay binigyan na ng area. They will have to stay inside for fourteen days," she said.

Garcia also pointed out that prior to this, the jail has already implemented a moratorium on the acceptance of inmates.

"When I came back, we instituted the preemptive decongestion," she said.

Upon Garcia’s resumption in office, the prison housed about 2,525 inmates. This was over a thousand the facility’s intended holding capacity of 1600.

"We did not accept new inmates anymore. We practically put the CPDRC on lockdown," she said.

Visitations of family members have also been temporarily cancelled because of the virus.

The governor added that "rigid disinfection" and "close monitoring of inmates" are also being conducted to ensure that the jail remains negative of COVID-19.  GAN (FREEMAN)