GEORGE TOWN – Following the death of an inmate, Penang Prison has enhanced the stipulated standard operating procedure (SOP) to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Prison director Mohamed Jusoh Ismail said all prison personnel and prisoners who were close contacts of the dead prisoner, who was later confirmed to be Covid-19 positive, have been put under quarantine and isolated from other personnel and inmates.
However, he declined to reveal the number of close contacts who were currently being quarantined.
“I cannot tell the number of those isolated, I can only say that those who have been in close contact with the deceased have been quarantined and even underwent Covid-19 screening tests conducted by the Health Ministry (MOH) yesterday.
“Today there are others who underwent the Covid-19 screening test in prison and even the Penang Hospital director was present at the prison to monitor the situation,” he told Bernama today.
Mohamed Jusoh said so far those quarantined did not show any signs of infection, even prisoners or staff who were not isolated were in good condition and did not show any symptoms.
Currently, there are about 2,300 prisoners and 320 staff at the Penang Prison.
“Until now, the MOH has not been informed on how the inmate who died contracted Covid-19... based on prison information the last time the man went out of the prison and returned was on September 9, no more after that,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bernama spotted movements of MOH vehicles in and out of the prison entrance, including one ferrying Penang Health director Dr Asmayani Khalid.
Health workers started entering the prison at 9am to conduct Covid-19 screening tests for prison personnel and inmates.
Yesterday, Health director-general Tan Sri Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed that an 85-year-old man died while receiving treatment at the Penang Hospital, the senior citizen also had a history of high blood pressure and mental illness. – Bernama, October 7, 2020
