Around 70 percent of inmates at the Benguet Provincial Jail in La Trinidad, Benguet have tested positive for Covid-19 during the mass swab testing done in the facility recently.
Benguet Provincial Jail Warden Peter Tip-ac said 77 Covid-19 positive cases were recorded among 95 inmates, of which 73 are active cases with three recoveries involving two jail guards and one inmate.
Tip-ac, who is in isolation pending the release of the result of his swab test, said all the inmates and personnel have already swabbed while authorities are still tracing the source of infection in the provincial jail.
The provincial jail management is closely coordinating with the Provincial Health Office, La Trinidad Municipal Health Office and the Benguet General Hospital to ensure the health and safety of the inmates and personnel of the facility.
The PHO has provided vitamins to the inmates, who are all asymptomatic, to boost their immune system while recovering from the infection. Anyinmate who will show symptoms of the infection will be brought to BeGH.
As a precaution, court hearings involving inmates has been suspended until March 15.
The jail warden has assured the families of the inmates that authorities are on top of the situation while closely monitoring the health and mental state of all inmates.
La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda, on the other hand, reported no inmate at the municipal jail which is adjacent to the provincial jail, tested positive for Covid-19.
Salda said the municipal jail is one of the priorities for mass testing, where the jail guards and jail warden need to be isolated in the facility, pending the result of their swab tests. – Ofelia C. Empian
April 25, 2024
