76 inmates in BuCor facilities isolated for suspected COVID-19 infection
MANILA, Philippines — Inside the Philippines’ overcrowded prison facilities, 76 Bureau of Corrections inmates are placed under isolation for possible infection of the novel coronavirus that has claimed more than 300 lives in the country.
President Rodrigo Duterte reported to the Congress that as of April 7, there are 74 Persons Deprived of Liberty and 80 BuCor personnel who are considered Persons Under Monitoring.
Until the Department of Health’s reclassification over the weekend, PUMs are those who are asymptomatic with travel history to countries with local transmission and may have had exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 case.
Duterte also said that there are two PDLs and one bureau personnel deemed Persons under Investigation or those who show symptoms of COVID-19 and had exposure to a confirmed case.
The DOH no longer uses these classification and adapted provisions from the World Health Organization’s interim guidance on global surveillance for COVID-19 which are: “suspect,” “probable” and “confirmed.”
“These PUMs and PUIs are being monitored for symptoms and have been isolated from the rest of prison facilities and have been isolated from the rest of the prison population in designated quarantine and isolation areas in various BuCor facilities,” Duterte told the Congress.
As additional measures to protect the inmates, the president said: “Temporary tents are being used for PDLs to decongest prison buildings at the [New Bilibid Prison] and a COVID-19 24-hour Monitoring Center has been established in the NBP Administration Building.”
The bureau has also coordinated with partner hospitals for transport of these PUMs and PUIs for medical treatment, Duterte added.
During a Senate hearing on Oct. 3, 2019, NBP hospital director Ernesto Tamayo said around 20% of maximum security inmates die every year mostly due to overcrowding, The STAR reported.
There are around 27,165 inmates at the maximum security area, which can only accommodate 6,435, for a congestion rate of 322%.
Release of the sickly, elderly inmates
Calls for release of the elderly, ailing and vulnerable prisoners from several rights groups and Sen. Leila De Lima continue to mount as COVID-19 infections rise.
A group of inmates sought temporary release order from the Supreme Court last week, citing that the Philippines will record a staggering number of fatalities in our overcrowded prisons if the virus infects an inmate.
They sought for the SC’s “compassion and protection of their right to life and health amid the COVID-19 pandemic” and asked that they may be released on humanitarian grounds.
“Needless to say, the continued incarceration of petitioners who are sick and elderly would be a virtual death sentence,” their plea read.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development backed the Rep. Vicente Veloso (Leyte)’s proposal to create an ad hoc committee to “immediately evaluate the situation of all provincial, city and municipal jails and other detention facilities and to establish guidelines and procedures for the temporary release of qualified [PDLs] for humanitarian reasons.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, meanwhile, said his department asked the Corrections bureau to expedite the processing the release of sickly and elderly inmates even before the COVID-19 broke out.
Photo shows members of the Philippine National Police deployed in Manila amid COVID-19 threat. The STAR/Edd Gumban
President Rodrigo Duterte on March 16, 2020 declares an enhanced community quarantine over all of mainland Luzon, an expansion of an earlier general community quarantine over the National Capital Region.
The entire National Capital Region—16 cities and a municipality—is under community quarantine from March 15 to April 14, which means the enforcement of social distancing measures like letting fewer people on public transportation, reduced store hours, and the possibiity of curfews.
According to a memorandum issued by the Palace on Saturday, March 14, the quarantine means that "movement of people shall be limited to accessing basic necessities and work; and uniformed personnel and quarantine officers shall be present at border points."
Travel restrictions in and out of the capital will also be implemented.
A labor group says another lockdown will never resolve rising COVID-19 cases in the Philippines after the government announced that Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal are placed under the enhanced community quarantine starting Monday.
“The Duterte government seems to be deliberate in focusing its efforts in imposing quarantine and lockdown measures instead of addressing the rising cases of COVID-19 and the worsening state of the pandemic through medical solutions and scientific approach,” says Defend Jobs Philippines.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says the implementation of enhanced community quarantine is meant to slow down the increase of COVID-19 cases, so hospitals and health workers will not be overwhelmed.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announces that Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal are placed under enhanced community quarantine starting Monday, March 29.
Tuguegarao City will be placed under enhanced community quarantine from January 20 to 29 due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the city.
Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba approved the request of Tuguegarao Mayor Jefferson Soriano to place the city under ECQ for 10 days.
According to the Cagayan Provincial Information Office, the city currently has 246 active cases.
BREAKING NEWS | ENERO 19, 2021 RIATF INAPRUBAHAN NA ANG PAGSASAILALIM SA TUGUEGARAO CITY SA 10-ARAW NA...
Posted by Cagayan Provincial Information Office on Tuesday, 19 January 2021
Batangas, one of the provinces hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, has reported no new cases of the disease for two consecutive days.
The provincial DOH Office says the number of COVID-19 cases in the province stood at 91 with no new cases as of Wednesday afternoon.
Lipa City has the most cases with 26, followed by Batangas City (21) and Nasugbu (11).
Tanauan City has the fourth most cases with eight, followed by Bauan (5) and Alitagtag (3). Cuenca and Sto. Tomas City had two cases each, while the municipalities of Calaca, Lemery, Lian, Lobo, Mabini, Mataas na Kahoy, Padre Garcia, San Jose, San Juan, San Pascual and Taal had one case each, respectively. — The Filipino Connection
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